Northern Ireland needs a green energy revolution. Properly harnessed, our wind, waves, tides and sun can meet our energy needs affordably and sustainably.

It’s time to move away from fossil fuels and polluting industries and build a new system. It’s time to invest in renewables and create well-paid green jobs. It’s time to build a world-class renewable energy industry right here in Northern Ireland.

It’s time to ensure that everybody lives in a warm home and that fuel poverty becomes a thing of the past. It’s time to ensure that every person has access to renewable energy supplies that are affordable, clean, sustainable and secure.

The Green Party will:

• Move to end Northern Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels quickly, investing in renewable electricity.
• Provide more financial support to households in fuel poverty.
• Ban all types of fossil fuel extraction and cease the granting of exploration licences including those for precious metals.
• End the development of the natural gas grid and focus on the electrification of heating and transport on our route to a net-zero future.
• Incentivise energy conservation, insulation and retrofitting to renewable energy sources in domestic, public and commercial planning policy.
• Ensure that large-scale renewable projects engage with and benefit local communities, including ‘community benefit’ payments for onshore wind.
• Develop grid technology to support the growth of renewable sources of energy to tackle intermittency and increase development of interconnectors to continental Europe, ensuring supply during periods of low production.
• Continue to campaign for divestment from fossil fuel industries, including all public sector pensions and investments from the financial sector.
• Ensure all new public buildings are energy efficient and decarbonised, with all existing public buildings being modernised and refurbished to meet the same standard.
• Support the use of Green Hydrogen to replace existing uses for fossil fuels.
• Advocate for smart metering in domestic and business properties.
• Introduce a new, responsibly-run and environmentally-focused renewable heat incentive scheme that reflects lessons learned about the mistakes of the past and the successful schemes run in other European countries.
• Support small-scale, local and co-operative schemes, especially community-owned and state owned schemes, ensuring any privately owned renewable installations are sensitive to the environment and heritage of the area.