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The Carbon Accounting (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

W.S.I. 2025/1270 · Made 3 December 2025

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

Climate Change, Wales

Made 3 December 2025

Coming into force 5 December 2025

In accordance with section 48(3) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016f1 (“the Act”), a draft of this instrument was laid before and approved by a resolution of Senedd Cymruf2.

Before the draft was laid, the Welsh Ministers obtained and took into account the advice of the Committee on Climate Changef3, in accordance with section 49(1) of the Act.

Accordingly, the Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 36(1) of the Act, make the following Regulations.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2016 anaw 3.

f2

The reference in section 48(3) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 to the National Assembly for Wales now has effect as a reference to Senedd Cymru, by virtue of section 150A(2) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).

f3

The Committee on Climate Change is the relevant advisory body to the Welsh Ministers by virtue of section 44(3) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

Contents

  1. 1Title and coming into force
  2. 2Amendment of the Carbon Accounting (Wales) Regulations 2018
  3. Signature
  4. Explanatory note

1Title and coming into force

(1)

The title of these Regulations is the Carbon Accounting (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

(2)

These Regulations come into force on 5 December 2025.

2Amendment of the Carbon Accounting (Wales) Regulations 2018

(1)

The Carbon Accounting (Wales) Regulations 2018f1 are amended as follows.

(2)

In regulation 2(1) (interpretation), omit the definition of “the Kyoto Protocol”.

(3)

In regulation 2(1) (interpretation), at the appropriate place insert—

  • ““the Paris Agreement” (“Cytundeb Paris”) means the Paris Agreement signed in Paris on 22 April 2016;”.

(4)

For regulation 3, substitute—

“3.
(1)

For the purposes of Part 2 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, Article 6.4 emissions reductions are carbon units.

(2)

Each carbon unit has a value of 1 tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent.

(3)

In this regulation, “Article 6.4 emissions reduction” means a credit issued under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement and the decisions adopted under the UNFCCC or the Paris Agreement.”

Signature

Huw Irranca-Davies

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, one of the Welsh Ministers

3 December 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Carbon Accounting (Wales) Regulations 2018 (“the principal Regulations”). The principal Regulations make provision in respect of carbon units for the purposes of calculating the net Welsh emissions account under Part 2 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (“the Act”).

The purpose of Part 2 of the Act is to require the Welsh Ministers to meet targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from Wales. Section 29 requires that the Welsh Ministers ensure that the net Welsh emissions account for the year 2050 is at least 100% lower than the 1990 baseline. Section 33 of the Act provides that the net Welsh emissions account for a period is the amount of net Welsh emissions of greenhouse gases, plus any carbon units debited from this account and minus any carbon units credited to this account during the period.

Regulation 3 of the principal Regulations defines which carbon units may be included in the net Welsh emissions account. Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends the definition of a carbon unit to replace the reference to certified emissions reductions issued under the Kyoto Protocol with a reference to Article 6.4 emissions reductions issued under the Paris Agreement.

Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends regulation 2 of the principal Regulations, to remove the definition of “the Kyoto Protocol” and to insert a definition of “the Paris Agreement”.

In accordance with section 49 of the Act, the Welsh Ministers have obtained and taken into account the advice of the advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change, before laying draft regulations.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ and is published on www.gov.wales.