An action plan on climate change is way behind in meeting its targets, Tynwald heard.

Tynwald voted to receive a progress report on climate change which shows very few policy measures are on track or completed while a raft of others are at risk or have already missed their deadline.

It prompted a call from Glenfaba and Peel MHK Kate Lord-Brennan to ask when climate change targets will be reviewed.

She said: ‘There needs to be some flex as these targets are just not realisable. We need some realism now.’

DEFA Minister Clare Barber said almost 80% of climate change spending so far had gone on improving people’s homes, reducing bills and emissions, which she described as a ‘no regret, win-win situation’.

She said the upfront costs of heat pumps and electric cars are ‘challenging’ but the benefits were ‘there to be seized and once achieved provide real direct improvements to people lives.’

But addressing her comment about it having been the hottest spring on record in the island, Middle MHK Stu Peters remarked: ‘Wasn’t it great!’

He said: ‘We are all being force-fed climate alarmism.

‘Net zero is dying and it’s being discredited around the world. We should think very hard about pouring any more money into it.’

Former minister Chris Thomas congratulated the authors of the report for their honesty in admitting they are behind on their targets.

He pointed out that Council of Ministers had responsibility for the action plan, strategies and budgets and asked: ‘What are the consequences for each individual minister and collectively in CoMin for being so far behind?’

It was a theme taken up by Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Tim Glover who highlighted policy measures that were at risk, on hold or had otherwise missed the deadline set.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge suggested that the report should not be received. She said: ‘I honestly believe people have lost faith in being able to meet those targets. The cost has become uneconomical for anyone to actually achieve.

‘We do need that reset. What can the Isle of Man afford? It’s causing increasing costs for all our families,’ she added.

Paul Craine MLC said it was disappointing that the report was being attacked. He pointed out it was an ambitious and long-term action plan. ‘We are getting there slowly, there’s a great deal more to do,’ he said.

Gary Clueit MLC noted the UK spends over £6bn on defence when the risk of armed conflict was considered to be less than 1%, while the risk of a climate catastrophe was considered to be 10%.

‘It really does call into question what our funding priorities really are,’ he said. ‘For something that’s considered to be a 10% risk I would argue we need to be spending an awful lot more than on something that’s only a 1% or less risk.’

Tynwald voted by 21 votes to three in the House of Keys and unanimously in the Legislative Council to receive the progress report.