Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

Proposals and policies for meeting carbon budget

29.—(1) 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.

(2) References in this Act to a “climate action plan” are to a report under this section.

(3) The report must set out proposals and policies covering the areas of responsibility of each Northern Ireland department.

(4) When developing policies each department must ensure they are consistent with the targets set out in the carbon budget.

(5) Having consulted the relevant sector-specific advisory groups, each Northern Ireland department must provide the Department with—

(a) its proposals and policies in its areas of responsibility, and

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

(6) Each Northern Ireland department must provide its proposals and policies for a budgetary period before the end of the first nine months of that period.

(7) The Department must lay the report for a budgetary period before the Assembly before the end of the first year of that period.

(8) The Department must publish the report for public consultation for a period of not less than 16 weeks ending on a day which is not less than 10 working days before that report is laid before the Assembly.

(9) The Department must lay the results of the public consultation in subsection (8) before the Assembly at the same time as it lays the report.