The impacts of climate change are indiscriminate and affect us globally. Therefore, I fully recognise the necessity and importance of working with my counterparts in the rest of the UK and Ireland to address the climate crisis and to achieve our shared net zero goals.

At a UK level, I engage with my counterparts in the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government on matters relating to climate change through a number of inter-ministerial groups (IMGs), including the net zero, energy and climate change inter-ministerial group and the environment, food and rural affairs inter-ministerial group. Those discussions allow for knowledge transfer and identification of opportunities for collaboration.

I was pleased to be able to host and chair recently the first in-person meeting of the net zero, energy and climate change inter-ministerial group in Belfast — I thank Belfast Harbour estate for hosting us — on 6 March. The next meeting is planned for early May. I have also been fortunate to have had the opportunity for additional engagement on matters relating to climate change with my Welsh and Scottish counterparts through our joint membership of the Under2 Coalition. Separate to those IMG structures, I engage with my counterparts from across the UK on ensuring that, collectively, we fulfil our responsibilities under the UK-wide Climate Change Act 2008. That includes the emissions trading scheme.

Through the British-Irish Council (BIC) and the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC), I also have ongoing engagement with my counterparts from across the UK and Ireland that, among other areas of shared interest, includes discussions on how we can address climate change together. I want to build on those issues and am in the process of arranging a meeting with my ministerial counterpart in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), following his appointment in January. I hope that that meeting will take place shortly.