Dear Minister,

Suggested letter below (but you may alter it)
The Climate Change Bill that has just finished its public consultation stage would make the UK a global leader in the fight against climate change. It will set us on course to reduce our carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent by 2050, if Friends of the Earth recommendations are adopted by Parliament. I believe that there are strong moral, economic, social and environmental arguments for Northern Ireland to contribute its fair share of global emissions cuts. With this in mind I am writing to ask you to lead the Executive in a process whereby it consents to Northern Ireland’s inclusion in the Climate Bill, before the passage of its second draft in October. For our inclusion in the bill to be effective it would require: - Northern Ireland specific strategies and CO2 reduction targets - CO2 reduction targets would be at least 3 per cent per year leading to an 80 per cent reduction on 1990 levels by 2050 - The establishment of a Northern Ireland sub-committee of the Climate Change Committee, specifically charged with overseeing Northern Ireland's contribution towards the UK-wide annual targets. Moving to a low-carbon future would put the UK ahead of the rest of the world both morally and economically, protecting us from the energy security problems that are already causing problems across Europe and North America. By choosing to join the rest of the country in its journey towards this we would also be giving the people of Northern Ireland a fair share of the benefits that this change would bring. Investment in public transport would alleviate transport poverty and tackle congestion on our major roads. As a direct result of this, air quality would improve in urban areas leading to fewer hospital admissions for respiratory complaints. Reducing our reliance on imports of agricultural produce in favour of meeting demand locally would boost farm incomes and bring renewed prosperity to rural areas. Discouraging air travel and encouraging people to holiday locally would be beneficial to the Northern Ireland tourist industry. There are many benefits to be had by aligning ourselves with Westminster legislation that will guarantee long term stability and prosperity for all the people of Northern Ireland. There are many drawbacks to choosing to opt out of the Bill and continue to develop Northern Ireland's economy on a basis of technologies with an uncertain future. I hope that you and your colleagues make the right decision and include Northern Ireland in the process of making the UK the world leader in the fight against climate change.

Yours sincerely,

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