Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.

Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 has 65 sections and is divided into 6 Parts. Part 1 concerns emissions Targets And Sectoral Plans; it sets targets for the years 2050, 2040 and 2030 for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and recognizes a power to amend the target on the Department by regulation. Moreover the Part requires Northern Ireland departments to develop and publish plans for areas of the economy, to be known as sectoral plans, setting out how the targets in sections will be achieved by sector. The areas identified are: energy, electricity consumption, infrastructure, industrial processes, waste management, agriculture, fisheries, transport and active travel.
Part 2 rules that the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Department) must by regulations set a maximum total amount for the net Northern Ireland emissions account for each budgetary period; that amount is referred to as the “carbon budget” for that period. the Northern Ireland departments are also required to ensure that the net Northern Ireland emissions account for each budgetary period does not exceed the carbon budget for that period. Furthermore, the Part lays down parameters on how the Department must set the carbon budget, these concern timing, general principles to achieve the target and social, environmental and economic factors (e.g. technology state of art, impact on biodiversity, impact on those living in remote rural communities and island communities, impact on poorest, etc.)
Under Part 3 the Department must prepare and publish a report for each budgetary period setting out proposals and policies for meeting the carbon budget for that period. The Part also clarifies that references in the Act to a “climate action plan” are to a report under this section (section 29). Section 30 establishes requirements for proposals and policies under section 29, these include coordination with other parts of United Kingdom and other stakeholders, commissioning a financial, social, economic and rural impact assessment on the effects of the proposals and policies, and give due regard to the special economic and social role of agriculture, including the distinct characteristics of biogenic methane. Moreover in deciding its proposals and policies for the purposes of section 29, each Northern Ireland department must also have regard to a) the just transition principle (see subsection 3), and b) the desirability of using and supporting nature-based projects (see subsection 5). The Department must by regulations establish a scheme for the administration of a fund to be known as the “Just Transition Fund for Agriculture” for the purpose of providing advice and financial assistance to the agriculture sector to deliver its contribution under proposals and policies for the purposes of section 29. Proposals and policies must contain targets to be achieved in the following areas: soil quality, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and air quality, and support nature based projects that enhance biodiversity, protect and restore ecosystems, and seek to reduce, or increase the removal of, greenhouse gas emissions or support climate resilience.
The Act lays down discipline for Department' Statements on compliance with emissions targets (section 41), confers power to the Department to impose climate change reporting duties on public bodies (section 42) and provides for reporting duties and advice from the Committee on Climate Change (Part 4).