Advice NI Take Part In Agenda NI Annual Northern Ireland Economic Conference 2023

This year’s conference took place against a difficult economic and political backdrop. With no devolved administration the local economy faces economic headwinds on several fronts. High inflation still persists and the energy crisis is expected to continue well into the winter months, which has put a squeeze on living standards. Budgetary pressures mean that spending is constrained, at a time when Northern Ireland’s economy aims to address long-standing issues.

Kevin took the opportunity to flag several important issues including:

• The need to strengthen our social security system;
• The need for an adequate NI Budget settlement;
• Ongoing pressures facing the poorest households in terms of income adequacy, essential items inflation and energy costs;
• The need to push forward with local initiatives including:
  • Sustainable Energy Communities, where communities themselves are supported to examine their own energy needs and come up with solutions to meet those needs, whether that means dealing with fuel poverty or moving away from fossil fuel use.
  • Community Wealth Building, which implements ways in which communities can retain the wealth they generate for the benefit of their local areas, including advocating for the real living wage.

If you would like to find out more about the work of Advice NI and in particular how to get involved in Sustainable Energy Communities & Community Wealth Building initiatives, please contact the Policy & Information Team on policy@adviceni.net.