Northern Ireland 'must do more' to promote energy efficiency

Although Northern Ireland is "on track" to generate 12 per cent of its electricity consumption by 2012, a government minister has claimed more needs to be done to promote energy efficiency within the country.

Nigel Dodds, the minister for enterprise, trade and investment in Northern Ireland, wrote in eGov Monitor this week that the country should "be more ambitious" with regard to its future renewable energy targets and that it should do more to promote sustainable, energy-efficient solutions.

He claimed sustainable energy is to become "high on the agenda" of the country's executive body - as it "cuts across all areas of Northern Ireland's government policy-making" - and that Northern Ireland is working to contribute to the UK's Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

Meanwhile, this week edie.net reported that homes in Northern Ireland have improved their energy efficiency by 20 per cent over the past ten years, with data from the country's housing executive indicating an annual carbon emissions reduction of around three million tonnes.