Anna Lo MLA said: “We need to see a strong and coherent strategy in place to help us maximise the opportunities that the green economy presents us with and I am pleased to be able to put this on the Assembly agenda on its first sitting day back after the Summer recess. We must look to radical ways of growing our economy and creating jobs and expansion of this sector is one of the key ways in which we can do so.
“We need to capitalise on the opportunities that our natural resources like the tides and winds present. For example, we have the second highest potential for generating power through wind in Europe.
“The scope for growth in the green economy is massive and it is important that we put ourselves in position to make the most of this potential. Research and development work in this field can be very lucrative and we must focus on increasing the work we do in this area.
“Sustainability and the economic benefits it can bring must be a central priority of our Programme for Government and this is one of the aims of the motion.
“Growing the green economy is not just about creating jobs and increasing sustainability, it could also help us address the issue of rising energy costs by enabling the generation of more renewable energy which could help drive down household bills in the future.”
ENDS
Green Economy
That this Assembly calls on the Executive to make the development of the green economy a priority within the next Programme for Government and to affirm that an overarching strategy for the development of the green economy should be implemented; and further calls on the Executive to bring together existing policies and initiatives, to identify gaps and to address them.