Member

Moreover, the advanced infrastructure required to enable the genuine success of the ETS simply does not yet exist in Northern Ireland at the required scale. The notion that this scheme will be up and running by July 2026 is fanciful. The proposal is foredoomed to failure with such an inconsiderate timeframe for preparation. Rather concerningly, government analysis shows a £179 million administrative cost versus £22 million in abatement investment, meaning that £8 is spent on bureaucracy for every £1 spent on genuine emissions reductions. These are not numerical comparisons intended to stoke feelings of pride or contentment in the Government; they should be frightening.