In its advice on Northern Ireland’s fourth carbon budget, the CCC recommended a 77 percent reduction in overall emissions by 2040. While as part of a new pathway to meet the legally binding 2050 net zero target, it has made 18 priority recommendations, including decarbonising the electricity supply, supporting low-carbon home heating, and increasing infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.

“To deliver against its ambitious climate commitments, immediate action is necessary”, Professor Piers Foster, interim chair of the CCC, stated. “Action by the government, businesses, and farmers can drive a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, boost investment, and benefit households.”

The carbon budget establishes how much carbon is allowed to be emitted over a period of time, and the CCC’s advice for the first, second, and third in Northern Ireland were put into law by the Assembly in December. More than three-fifths of the reductions required to reach the fourth budget will come from the domestic transport, buildings, agriculture and land use sectors.

In Northern Ireland, the largest contributor of greenhouse gases is Agriculture, which led to the CCC’s conclusion that it is “essential” that low carbon farming practices are developed, and farmers should be encouraged “to diversify land use from livestock farming to measures such as peatland restoration and woodland creation”.