Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

Final statement for budgetary period

39.—(1) The Department must—

(a) prepare a final statement for each budgetary period in accordance with this section, and

(b) lay the statement before the Assembly before the end of the second year after that period.

(2) A final statement under this section must state, in respect of each greenhouse gas—

(a) the total amount of Northern Ireland emissions,

(b) the total amount of Northern Ireland removals, and

(c) the total amount of net Northern Ireland emissions,

for the period.

(3) It must—

(a) state the total amount of carbon units that have been credited to or debited from the net Northern Ireland emissions account for the period, and

(b) give details of the number and type of those units.

(4) It must state the final amount of the net Northern Ireland emissions account for the period.

(5) It must—

(a) state whether the Department has decided to carry an amount back or forward under section 28 so as to increase or reduce the carbon budget for the period, and

(b) if so, state the amount carried back or forward.

(6) It must state the final amount of the carbon budget for the period.

(7) Whether the carbon budget for a period has been met is to be determined by reference to the information in the statement for that period.

(8) The statement must explain why the carbon budget for the period has, or has not, been met.

(9) In particular, it must include an assessment of the extent to which the proposals and policies for meeting the carbon budget set out in the climate action plan under section 29 for the period—

(a) have been carried out, and

(b) have contributed to the carbon budget for the period being met or not being met.

(10) The statement under subsection (8) and assessment under subsection (9) must cover the areas of responsibility of each Northern Ireland department.

(11) Each Northern Ireland department must provide the Department with—

(a) an explanation of what it considers to be the reasons why the carbon budget for the period has, or has not, been met, so far as relating to its areas of responsibility,

(b) its assessment of the extent to which its proposals and policies for meeting the carbon budget—

(i) have been carried out, and

(ii) have contributed to the carbon budget for the period being met or not being met, and

(c) such other assistance as the Department requires in the preparation of the statement.

(12) Each Northern Ireland department must provide its explanation and assessment for a budgetary period before the end of the first 21 months after that period.