Section 23: Carbon budgets
This section places a duty on the Department to make regulations that set the maximum total amount of carbon emissions for each 5 year budgetary period, which is known as a ‘carbon budget’. This section sets out what the budgetary periods are, and also provides a power to amend the periods subject to the restrictions set out in section 55. The section also outlines consultation requirements and requirements in terms of impact assessments in respect of proposed carbon budgets.
The first budgetary period will be 2023-2027 and the remaining budgetary periods are each succeeding period of five years.