New Environment Minister Arlene Foster has stated this month that she is committed to leading the way in the battle to offset the Northern Ireland Government's carbon footprint. Speaking as environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth (FoE) held an all-Ireland conference on climate change in County Armagh, Mrs Foster said work was underway to reduce emissions and indigenous trees would be planted on Government estates.
Environmental campaigners, policy makers, science specialists, church and faith groups and other commentators gathered at the weekend in Mullaghbawn to debate one of the biggest challenges facing the world. Speaking about the subject, Mrs Foster said, "All of the departments of Government are committed to being carbon neutral by 2015. I very much hope that we can be the leader in that and beat that target. There is also a statutory duty coming from Europe that we have to encourage biodiversity, which I hope (with the tree planting) we are encouraging as well."
However, John Woods of the Fellowship of the Earth (FOTE) argued that he felt there were more effective ways forward. "One way would be to insulate all the Government estate, all public buildings in Northern Ireland to the highest possible standards, not just new buildings, but all existing buildings. To do that and basically make those buildings carbon neutral is the way ahead, rather than to carry on emitting the carbon and try and soak it up by planting some trees in a slightly futile fashion."
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