Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

Statements on compliance with emissions targets

41.—(1) The Department must—

(a) prepare a statement for each of the years 2030, 2040 and 2050 in accordance with this section, and

(b) lay each statement before the Assembly before the end of the second year after the year to which it relates.

(2) A 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 year to which the statement relates.

(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 year, and

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

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

(5) The statement for 2050 must also state—

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

(b) the amount of the net Northern Ireland emissions account for carbon dioxide for that year.

(6) Whether the emissions target (or targets) for 2030, 2040 or 2050 has (or have) been met is to be determined by reference to the information in the statement for that year.

(7) The statement must explain why the target (or each of the targets) for the year has, or has not, been met.

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

(a) an explanation of what it considers to be the reasons why the target (or each of the targets) for the year has, or has not, been met, so far as relating to its areas of responsibility, and

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

(9) Each Northern Ireland department must provide its explanation before the end of the first 21 months after the year to which the statement relates.