DUP Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson Carla Lockhart MP is appealing to farmers to ‘have their say’. The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Wednesday, 8th October 2025.
There are a number of public consultation events taking place at various locations throughout Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. Dates and registration details are available on the DAERA website.
The Upper Bann MP said: “Farming has been a way of life for generations, but it has never felt so under threat. Government policies that punish are sadly more common than ever. The Climate Change Action Plan is another anti-farming strategy promoted by the growing influence of radical green ideology.
“We are already fighting against the Labour government’s changes to historical inheritance tax relief on APR and BPR, and Minister Muir’s Nutrients Action Programme (2026-2029). Now we’re being further smothered by climate extremism.
“DAERA’s Climate Action plan, unveiled in June, is yet another attack on our thriving agri-food industry which contributes over £2.87 billion to the economy and sustains tens of thousands of jobs.
“Farmers are not the villains. They are the backbone of our countryside and should be supported by Westminster and Stormont, not over regulated and heavily blamed for issues
far beyond their control.
“Those who championed the Climate Change Act (NI) 2022 have delivered legislation built on ambitious, unworkable and unrealistic targets. The hard reality is that these excessive and damaging targets won’t even make a small dent in global emissions.
“Farmers are united with nature and already committed to caring for the environment on a daily basis. We are all fully aware that the challenges are very real and more needs to be done to tackle climate change, but DAERA must build confidence within the farming sector, rather than continually undermining it. Introducing unrealistic targets and enforcing red tape isn’t the answer.
“Pending policies such as the Nutrients Action Programme and the Climate Action Plan need a roadmap which supports agriculture and relies on farmers to help solve the problems. They’ve been treated as scapegoats for far too long. Farmers are currently being pushed to the limit and many are forecasting a bleak future for the industry.
“Agriculture isn’t solely to blame for climate change and it shouldn’t be burdened with damaging and disproportionate regulations. Farmers in Northern Ireland can’t save the planet single-handed.
“Policies that are being pushed through under the ‘Net Zero’ banner are just ticking the boxes to hit abstract, unrealistic targets. They aren’t balanced, practical or workable.
“The major emitters of greenhouse gases are large economies such as China, India and Brazil. Northern Ireland’s contribution will deliver negligible climate benefit and the millions of pounds spent trying will be wasteful. This expenditure should be channelled into upgrading our infrastructure to deal with the effects of climate change. This would provide meaningful and tangible value for local people.”
Prior the Westminster summer recess, Carla Lockhart MP tabled and early day motion calling on the government to abandon its current Net Zero approach.
Ms Lockhart said: “Farmers are being used a political-pawns, while global polluters and multinational corporations remain untouched. This government is obsessed with targets that make headlines and no sense.
“Net Zero is detached from the realities of everyday farming, food production and the economic viability of rural Britain. It’s nothing more than a political vanity project, the cost of which will be paid by farmers and UK tax payers.”
