Regulations to establish climate change Just Transition Commission progress through DAERA
Minister Andrew Muir MLA has today welcomed progress in the establishment of a Just Transition Commission for climate change policy in Northern Ireland.
After recently receiving Executive agreement to proceed with the Commission, Minister Muir confirmed he will be bringing draft Regulations soon to establish the Commission to the AERA Committee and Assembly for scrutiny and debate.
The Minister said: “Today is a critical step towards ensuring that Northern Ireland has the structures in place to address both the challenges and opportunities connected with climate action. At all times, we must ensure that this is done in a way that is inclusive, fair and sustainable.
“The establishment of a Just Transition Commission will be essential to delivering on this ambition. Through its oversight and advisory role, it will help ensure that departments design and bring forward decarbonisation policies that ensure nobody is left behind.”
Just Transition Commissions have been established by the Scottish and Irish Governments to oversee their administrations’ low carbon transition.
Northern Ireland’s Commission will include representation from a number of sectors including agriculture, the environment, trade unions and youth groups.
The draft regulations follow an extensive ten-week consultation, during which the Department sought views on the structure and make-up of the Commission including whether additional sectors should be represented to those specified for representation in the Climate Change Act (NI).
The consultation indicated overwhelmingly strong support for the establishment of a commission to ensure departments are supported in ensuring policies work for everyone in Northern Ireland.
Minister Muir noted: “The progression of these Regulations to the Assembly is an important milestone on this journey and I look forward to further constructive discussion and debate through our Assembly scrutiny process.”
Further info:
• Section 37 of The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (the Act) requires that DAERA, by regulations, establish an independent Just Transition Commission. Section 37 also specifies a range of sectors who must be represented on the Commission.
• The Act requires the Commission to include representatives from seven sectors. These are academia, youth groups, civic society, trade unions, fisheries, agriculture and environment. In addition, it is proposed that the Commission will also include representation from energy, transport, the built environment, the rural sector and green finance.
• The primary function of the Commission will be to oversee all departments implementation of the just transition elements of the Act and to provide advice to departments on how to ensure emissions reduction policies and proposals comply with the just transition principle and objectives as set out in the Act.
• The Act requires the Commission to include representatives from 7 sectors. These are academia, youth groups, civic society, trade unions, fisheries, agriculture and environment.
• During the 10-week consultation period the Department ran 12 consultation engagement events with organisations and interested parties including with those sectors and groups mandated to be represented on the Commission by the Act.
• A copy of the consultation response summary is available on the DAERA website:
