Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

PART 5 FURTHER OVERSIGHT

Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner

50.—(1) The Executive Office must by regulations establish an independent office to be known as the “Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner”.

(2) The functions of the Commissioner are to oversee and report on the operations of this Act.

(3) Regulations under subsection (1)—

(a) must make provision for the appointment of the Commissioner;

(b) may provide that the Commissioner is to be a corporation sole;

(c) may make provision about the general powers of the Commissioner;

(d) may make provision for the payment of remuneration and allowances to the Commissioner, and for the defraying of the Commissioner’s expenses;

(e) may make provision in relation to accounting, reporting and record-keeping by the Commissioner;

(f) may make provision for the appointment of officers and staff by the Commissioner;

(g) may make provision about the acquisition and disposal by the Commissioner of property, rights and liabilities (including land);

(h) may make such further provision in relation to the Commissioner as the Executive Office considers appropriate.

(4) Regulations under subsection (1) may also make provision about the functions of the Commissioner, including provision specifying how the oversight and reporting functions are to be performed.

(5) The first regulations under subsection (1) must be laid in draft before the Assembly within the period of 2 years beginning with the day on which this Act receives Royal Assent.

Climate action plan

51.—(1) The Department must lay before the Assembly and publish a plan, known as the climate action plan, within 24 months from the day on which this Act receives Royal Assent.

(2) Before laying each plan before the Assembly, the Department must commission a financial, social, economic and rural impact assessment on the effects of the draft climate action plan and carry out a public consultation on the draft climate action plan, including consultation with sector-specific advisory groups, lasting at least 16 weeks.

(3) Subsequent plans must be published within 5 years from the date on which the previous plan was laid before the Assembly.

(4) The climate action plan must set out how the interim targets and the target of net zero will be achieved by the year 2050.

(5) Climate action plans must be climate resilient and support an environmentally sustainable economy.

(6) The plans must include annual targets on—

(a) greenhouse gas emissions, and

(b) air quality.

(7) “Climate resilient” means the ability to minimise, mitigate or remedy the effects of climate change.