Northern Ireland Green House Gas Emissions Targets in Proposed Climate Change Bills: A comparison of estimated public finance implications

Synopsis: Currently, the Committee for Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs (“CAERA”) is scrutinising two Climate Change Bills that now are before the Assembly – namely: a Private Member’s Bill (“PMB”); and, a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (“DAERA”) Bill. Each Bill contains a greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”) target seeking to reduce emissions of GHGs in Northern Ireland (“NI”). To support CAERA’s consideration of the two proposed targets, this briefing paper provides an overview of the potential financial implications that could arise from the targets, if enacted as introduced, in particular those implications relating to the Executive Budget.

Date: 13 December 2021