To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to provide an update on the implementation of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.

The first requirement of the Act has been met through the making and bringing into operation of the Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 on 3 May 2024. These place climate change mitigation and adaptation reporting duties on large-sized specified public bodies.

I am currently engaging with Executive colleagues on draft regulations that will set Northern Ireland’s first three carbon budgets and a 2040 emissions reduction target. Once Executive agreement is obtained I will bring the regulations forward for approval by the Assembly.

In addition, DAERA is leading the development of Northern Ireland’s first Climate Action Plan. This plan will set out government’s collective approach to delivering the emissions reductions required to achieve Northern Ireland’s first carbon budget. Officials across all departments are in the process of finalising the first draft Climate Action Plan covering carbon budget 2023-2027 and I intend to bring this to the Executive soon.

Work is also progressing around the establishment of a Just Transition Commission. I envisage that proposals around the constitution of the Just Transition Commission, including the draft Regulations that will establish the Commission, will be published for consultation in the last quarter of 2024.

I welcome the commitment by the Executive, in the draft Programme for Government published this week, to deliver on each of these requirements and I look forward to engaging with Executive colleagues in progressing them.