Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Energy and Clean Growth of 23 April 2019, Official Report, column 690, what are the market mechanisms put in place to deliver CO2 reductions in Northern Ireland since the closure of the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Energy policy, including heat, is devolved for Northern Ireland. Section 113 of the Energy Act 2011 contains provisions enabling the Northern Ireland Executive to make regulations to introduce and operate a RHI scheme in Northern Ireland. The GB RHI scheme is completely separate to the NI RHI scheme, with different scheme rules. Between 1990 and 2016, Northern Ireland reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 16%[1].

The Government has been working with Northern Ireland’s Executive in areas such as the future of carbon pricing after we leave the European Union.

The UK Government and the Devolved Administrations (the Scottish Government; the Welsh Government; and the Northern Ireland Executive) have jointly published a consultation document on the UK’s future approach to carbon pricing. The consultation plays a vital role in helping the government fulfil its commitment to carbon pricing as an effective emissions reduction tool, as outlined in the Clean Growth Strategy

This is a joint consultation and the Devolved Administrations are co-authors and Government officials have worked with devolved administration’s counterparts throughout the process. At ministerial level I have regular quadrilaterals and Northern Ireland is represented by senior civil servants.

[1] Source: http://naei.beis.gov.uk/reports/reports?report_id=958