Commentary on Sections Part 2 - Carbon Budgets Section 28: Carrying amounts from one budgetary period to another
This section provides a power for the Department to “bank” and “borrow” emissions between budgetary periods.
The Department may “borrow” up to 1% of the next budget. An amount from the next budget is “carried back” to the budget preceding it. Where this power is used, the next budget (which will already have been set by regulations) is reduced by the amount that has been borrowed.
The Department may carry forward any part of the carbon budget that exceeds the net Northern Ireland emissions account for that period (i.e. to “bank” a budget surplus, but not necessarily all of it). The banked amount is added to the next carbon budget.
Subsection (7) requires the Department to consult with the Committee on Climate Change, the Climate Commissioner and the other Northern Ireland departments before the carrying back or forward of any part of carbon budgets using the powers in this section.