Commentary on Sections Part 3 - Reports and Statements Against Targets and Budgets Etc Section 29: Proposals and policies for meeting carbon budgets
This section places a duty on the Department to prepare and publish a report for each budgetary period setting out the policies and proposals for meeting the carbon budget for that period. These reports are to be called “climate action plans” and will effectively outline the planned actions that will be taken across a budgetary period by all Northern Ireland departments in order to try and lower emissions across relevant sectors.
Subsection (3) requires the report to cover the areas of responsibility of each Northern Ireland department. Each Northern Ireland department is required to provide the Department with detail on its proposals and policies within its areas of responsibility. Similar requirements are included in respect of all the reporting duties placed on the Department in Part 3 of the Act in order to require effective contributions from all Northern Ireland departments to assist with planning and implementing measures to reduce emissions.
Subsection (7) requires the Department to lay the report for a budgetary period in the Assembly before the end of the first year of that period and subsections (8) and (9) set out consultation requirements.