DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has welcomed Met Office experts to Stormont to present the latest scientific evidence on climate change, emphasising the “clear and urgent need to act” on global warming impacts already affecting Northern Ireland.
The event, held at Parliament Buildings on 11 June 2026, brought together leading climate scientists and policymakers to discuss projected climate trends and their anticipated effects on infrastructure, public health and the natural environment. It follows provisional Met Office statistics showing May 2026 was the joint tenth warmest on record for the region.
Local Risks to Agriculture and Infrastructure
At the jointly hosted session, Met Office representatives presented data analysis examining how a warming climate will affect Northern Ireland specifically. Attendees heard detailed briefings on the challenges facing the agriculture sector, with changing weather patterns, prolonged wet periods and increasing temperatures expected to have significant implications for the agri-food sector.
The event forms part of ongoing work by DAERA to raise awareness of climate impacts and support informed, evidence-based action across all sectors. It reinforces commitments outlined in the Third Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NICCAP3), published in March 2026, which contains over 280 actions from across Executive Departments and wider stakeholders including public and private sectors, environmental NGOs and academia.
Minister: ‘Not a Distant Challenge’
Minister Muir told attendees that independent scientific evidence must guide policy decisions to protect communities and the economy.
“Today is about evidence – independent scientific evidence on how our climate is changing. Climate change is not a distant challenge it is already having real and measurable impacts across Northern Ireland. The Met Office’s world-leading expertise helps us to understand future climate scenarios and the risks we face, from increased flooding and more frequent extreme weather events to rising temperatures and sea levels. It is vital that we continue to base our decisions on the best available evidence so that we can protect our communities, support our economy and safeguard our natural environment for future generations. There is a clear and urgent need to act. The scientific evidence presented today reinforces the importance of progressing the actions within our Third Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme to build our resilience, publishing our first Climate Action Plan and advancing wider climate policies.”
He added that collective effort across government, businesses and individuals is essential for delivering a sustainable future.
“Addressing climate change requires collective effort. With Government, businesses, communities and individuals all having a vital role to play in building resilience and delivering a sustainable future for Northern Ireland.”
Met Office Urges Mitigation and Adaptation
Professor Jason Lowe OBE, Met Office Principal Fellow Applied & Climate Science, emphasised that reducing emissions alone is insufficient without adaptation measures.
“The role of the Met Office is to provide the very best climate intelligence through world leading science, enabling decision makers, business and individuals to make evidence-based decisions in response to the challenges of our changing climate. The evidence is clear that our climate is changing, and we know that reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will help prevent the very worst impacts of climate change. However, it is also critical to adapt to the changes we’re going to see, and an evidence-based approach to assessing the risks will help ensure the most effective action is taken.”
Implementation Details Remain Unclear
While the event highlighted the importance of scientific evidence, several practical details remain unresolved. The presentation did not specify which new datasets were being unveiled beyond general references to “projected climate trends,” nor did it outline specific budget allocations to support the 280 actions within NICCAP3.
Additionally, despite Minister Muir’s reference to “publishing our first Climate Action Plan,” the document remains in draft form following a consultation that closed in October 2025. The timeline for final publication and implementation remains unspecified, raising questions about the pace of statutory obligations under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.
Questions Over Funding and Delivery
- What specific funding mechanisms will support farmers facing the “prolonged wet periods” identified by the Met Office, and when will these be operational?
- How will the 280 actions in NICCAP3 be prioritised and monitored, given the programme runs until 2029?
- When will the final Climate Action Plan 2023-2027 be laid before the Assembly, eight months after the consultation closed?
- How does the Met Office’s latest data alter previous risk assessments for specific infrastructure projects, such as flood-prone transport routes?
- What metrics will be used to measure whether “evidence-based decisions” are actually being implemented across departments?
The event represents another step in DAERA’s efforts to embed climate science within policymaking. With May 2026 recording notably above-average temperatures across Northern Ireland, the urgency of translating scientific warnings into concrete protections for communities and the agri-food sector becomes increasingly apparent. Observers will now watch for the final publication of the Climate Action Plan and specific budget commitments to support the adaptation programme’s ambitious targets.