Climate Change (Carbon Budget 2038-2042) to proceed to the Assembly for further debate

The committee was equally divided 4:4.

Earlier the committee heard a briefing about the Climate Change (Carbon Budget 2038-2042) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 from Anthony Courtney – Acting Director, CCLPD Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Yesterday the Ulster Farmers Union warned that ‘carbon auditing must not become a mandatory condition for farm support’ stressing that any move in this direction must be based in ‘real market demand’.

The committee met to discuss proposed regulations for the fourth carbon budget and debated their potential impact on the agricultural sector.

The committee was briefed on the proposed regulations under section 23 of the Climate Change Act which establish a carbon budget for the period 2038-2042.

The budget targets a 77% annual average reduction aligned with recommendations from the Climate Change Council.

The Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) suggest an overall net benefit to the NI economy of 1.39 billion between 2025 and 2050.

Committee Chairperson Diana Armstrong said the farming community ‘need an assurance where their livestock stand with future carbon budgets’.

"It is not very clear what this is going to cost as it will affect every single household, every single part of industry, manufacturing let alone farming.

"So overall can we measure the cost this will have to every householder in Northern Ireland as it will impact small farms, large farms and a whole swathe of society in this country.”

Addressing the Committee, Mr Courtney said: “I think the best way of doing this is through the climate action plans rather than through carbon budgets”.

He added that “in the longer term we move away from fossil fuels and move towards energy security” this will lead to “a saving in comparison to what we are experiencing now.