The Green New Deal for Northern Ireland has been formally launched. This is  direct spin off from the group of which I am a member.

As the Belfast Telegraph reports:

Refitting thousands of homes to save energy would create more than 2,300 jobs in Northern Ireland, a lobby group has claimed.

The Green New Deal campaign wants the Government to provide £72 million over a three-year period to slash fuel bills and carbon emissions.

Ministers are considering how to deal with some of the deepest public spending cuts in recent years.

Utility Regulator Iain Osborne, chairman of the pressure group, said: "We are fully aware of the funding constraints currently affecting government, however we believe they must react and take leadership in order to help businesses recover from the recession, enable consumers to reduce their energy bills and save money, while also reducing carbon emissions and energy usage."

I’ll watch progress with real interest.

Congratulations to all involved.