To ask the Minister for the Economy whether she will consider using the new Sustainable Development Index (SDI), as outlined by Jason Hickel, as a tool for Northern Ireland to annually monitor its current ecological situation, and thus seek to emulate best practice globally.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, my department has published ‘Rebuilding a Stronger Economy’ which provides a medium term plan for economic recovery moving towards a more competitive, inclusive and greener economy.

In the longer term, my Department will also lead on the development of an Economic strategy which will support a new Programme for Government. The principles of sustainable development will be a vital component of the strategy and the economic interventions detailed within it. Sustainable Development is an objective of the Northern Ireland Executive and requires a collective effort on behalf of Executive departments and their agencies. The SDI is a measure that is available and may in due course prove useful in measuring progress against wider ecological goals.