The Climate Change (Net Welsh Emissions Account Credit Limit) (Wales) Regulations 2021

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2021 No. 334 (W. 89)

Climate Change, Wales

The Climate Change (Net Welsh Emissions Account Credit Limit) (Wales) Regulations 2021

Made

17 March 2021

Coming into force

19 March 2021

In accordance with section 48(3) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016(1) (“the Act”), a draft of this instrument was laid before and approved by a resolution of Senedd Cymru(2).

Before the draft was laid the Welsh Ministers obtained and took into account the advice of the Committee on Climate Change(3), in accordance with section 49(1) of the Act.

Accordingly, the Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 33(4) of the Act, make the following Regulations.

Title and commencement

1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the Climate Change (Net Welsh Emissions Account Credit Limit) (Wales) Regulations 2021.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 19 March 2021.

Carbon units limit

2.  The limit on the amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account for the budgetary period 2021-2025 is 0% of the carbon budget.

Lesley Griffiths

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, one of the Welsh Ministers

17 March 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations set a limit on the amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account in accordance with section 33(4) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (“the Act”).

Section 33 of the Act provides that the net Welsh emissions account for a period is the amount of net Welsh emissions of greenhouse gases plus any carbon units debited from the account, and minus any carbon units credited to the account during the period.

Section 33(4) of the Act requires the Welsh Ministers to set a limit on the amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account for a budgetary period.

Regulation 2 limits the number of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account for the budgetary period 2021-2025 to 0% of the carbon budget.

In accordance with section 49 of the Act, the Welsh Ministers have obtained and taken into account the advice of the advisory body before laying draft regulations.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.

(1)

2016 anaw 3.

(2)

The reference in section 48(3) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 to the National Assembly for Wales now has effect as a reference to Senedd Cymru, by virtue of section 150A(2) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).

(3)

The Committee on Climate Change is the relevant advisory body to the Welsh Ministers by virtue of section 44(3) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.