Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

Crediting and debiting of carbon units

11.—(1) The Department may by regulations make provision about—

(a) the circumstances in which carbon units may or may not be credited to the net Northern Ireland emissions account for a period,

(b) the circumstances in which carbon units may or may not be debited from that account for a period, and

(c) how that is to be done.

Section 59 explains what a “carbon unit” is.

(2) The regulations must contain provision for ensuring that carbon units that are credited to the net Northern Ireland emissions account for a period cease to be available to offset other greenhouse gas emissions.

(3) The regulations must set a limit on the net amount of carbon units by which the net Northern Ireland emissions account for a period may be reduced as a result of applying provision made under subsection (1)(a) and (b); and that limit must not be greater than 25% of the aggregate amount of net Northern Ireland emissions of each greenhouse gas for that period (as determined in accordance with sections 9 and 10).

(4) The regulations may provide that carbon units of a description specified in the regulations do not count towards the limit.

(5) The regulations may make provision about the crediting of carbon units to, and the debiting of carbon units from, the net Northern Ireland emissions account for carbon dioxide for 2050.

(6) The amount of carbon units that are to be credited to the net Northern Ireland emissions account for carbon dioxide for 2050 must not be greater than—

(7) If—

(a) carbon units are credited to the net Northern Ireland emissions account for carbon dioxide for 2050, and

(b) carbon units are debited from the net Northern Ireland emissions account for 2050,

carbon units must be debited from the net Northern Ireland emissions account for carbon dioxide for 2050; and the amount of carbon units so debited must not be less than—

(8) In subsections (6) and (7)—

“Total credits” is the amount of carbon units that are credited to the net Northern Ireland emissions account for 2050;

“Total debits” is the amount of carbon units that are debited from the net Northern Ireland emissions account for 2050;

“CO2 emissions” is the amount of net Northern Ireland emissions of carbon dioxide for 2050;

“Total emissions” is the aggregate amount of net Northern Ireland emissions of each greenhouse gas for 2050.