Climate Change (No.2) Bill - Call for Evidence and Views

Overview

Climate Change is one of the most challenging issues facing our society, and how we address it will have implications for how we live, work and travel.

It is a global problem and many countries around the world have, in recent years, introduced laws and strategies to reduce emissions from greenhouse gases (GHG) that are known to be harmful to the environment.

As part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement, the Northern Ireland (NI) Executive made a commitment to introduce legislation that would set out how carbon emissions would be reduced in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement pledge“to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.”

The Climate Change (No.2) Bill that has been introduced by the Minister for the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) sets out a framework to deliver on the New Decade, New Approach commitment and establishes legislation to mitigate the effects of Climate Change locally.

The Assembly’s AERA Committee recently sought views from individuals and stakeholder organisations to help inform its scrutiny of a Climate Change Bill that has been sponsored by a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

The Minister for DAERA has developed a separate Bill on Climate Change (No. 2 Bill) that was introduced to the Assembly in July 2021.

The Committee is now seeking views and evidence on this Bill as it is anticipated that it will be referred to the Committee for scrutiny in September 2021.

We understand that this is an unusual situation with the Committee seeking views on two pieces of legislation that cover the same policy area, and that many individuals and organisations have provided their views to the Committee on Climate Change in recent weeks.

However, the Committee has a responsibility to scrutinise each Bill independently and to consider their specific merits and potential impacts in accordance with the legislative processes of the Assembly.

That is why it is very important that the Committee hears your views and perspectives on the Climate Change (No. 2) Bill.

When completing your response, we respectfully ask that you address the specific clauses and wording of this Bill, and try to avoid comparison with the Climate Change Bill that we have previously sought evidence on.