Commenting on DAERA's announcement of appointments to the Just Transition Commission, Ulster Unionist Agriculture spokesperson and AERA Committee Chair Robbie Butler MLA said:

"While I welcome the establishment of the Just Transition Commission, the proof will be in who actually ends up sitting around that table. Words like 'balanced' and 'equitable' mean nothing if the people shaping climate policy have never set foot on a farm or worked in our agri-food sector.

"Agriculture accounts for three posts on this Commission and that is simply not enough given the scale of what this industry faces. I would urge DAERA in the strongest possible terms to ensure those agriculture seats are filled by people who genuinely understand the sector from the ground up, not just in theory.

"For the Ulster Unionist Party, food security and energy security are non-negotiable priorities for Northern Ireland. These are not aspirations; they are cornerstones of our economy and our way of life. That must be reflected not only in who is appointed to this Commission, but in its terms of reference and the outcomes it is held to deliver.

"If we are serious about a just transition, it has to be just for our farmers and food producers too. That means practitioners, not just academics and advocates, having a real voice in the room."