Solar Heating - Executive''s environmental policies questioned

18/02/2008

The Northern Ireland executive is failing to meet the challenge posed by climate change, according to an MLA.

Brian Wilson of the Green Party told the Newsletter that Northern Ireland's environmental policy is going backwards under the devolved government.

A grant scheme introduced by former Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain to provide incentives for householders to install solar heating, wind turbines and other renewable energy systems has been scrapped by the current administration, Mr Wilson complained.

"If they are serious about the issues that are concerning everyone, like global warming and climate change … they would not be going down this route," he insisted.

Mr Wilson, who became the first ever Green Party MLA when elected in March 2007, added that Northern Ireland needs an environmental protection agency to oversee the battle against climate change.

Although Northern Ireland's renewable energy grant scheme has been shelved, residents in all parts of the UK can apply for funding from the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to install microgeneration equipment such as ground source heat pumps, solar heating and bio-energy.