# The Climate Change (Carbon Budget) (Wales) Regulations 2025

W.S.I. 2025/1268 · made 3 December 2025

The purpose of Part 2 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (“the Act”) is to require the Welsh Ministers to meet targets for reducing net Welsh emissions of greenhouse gases from Wales. Section 29 of the Act places a duty upon the Welsh Ministers to ensure that net Welsh emissions for the year 2050 are at least 100% lower than the baseline emissions figures.

Made under: Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (Section 31)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/climate-change-carbon-budget-wales-regulations-2025/pdf/wsi_20251268_mi.pdf

## Introductory text

Climate Change, Wales
Made 3 December 2025
Coming into force 5 December 2025
In accordance with section 48(3) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (“the Act”), a draft of this instrument was laid before and approved by a resolution of Senedd Cymru.
Before the draft was laid, the Welsh Ministers—
(a) satisfied themselves that the carbon budget is set at a level consistent with meeting the 2050 emissions target and the interim emissions target for any interim target year that falls within or after the budgetary period, in accordance with section 32(1)(b) of the Act,
(b) had regard to the matters listed in section 32(3) of the Act, and
(c) obtained and took into account the advice of the Committee on Climate Change, in accordance with section 49(1) of the Act.
The Committee on Climate Change has recommended that the carbon budget for the 2031-2035 budgetary period be set.
Accordingly, the Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 31(1) of the Act, make the following Regulations.

## 1 Title and coming into force

(1) The title of these Regulations is the Climate Change (Carbon Budget) (Wales) Regulations 2025.
(2) These Regulations come into force on 5 December 2025.

## 2 Interpretation

In these Regulations, “carbon budget”, “budgetary period” and “baseline” have the same meaning as in Part 2 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (see sections 31(1), 31(3) and 38 of that Act).

## 3 Carbon budget for the 2031 to 2035 budgetary period

The carbon budget for the 2031-2035 budgetary period is limited to an average of 73% lower than the baseline.

## 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)
The purpose of Part 2 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (“the Act”) is to require the Welsh Ministers to meet targets for reducing net Welsh emissions of greenhouse gases from Wales. Section 29 of the Act places a duty upon the Welsh Ministers to ensure that net Welsh emissions for the year 2050 are at least 100% lower than the baseline emissions figures.
Section 31(1) of the Act requires that the Welsh Ministers set carbon budgets for each 5-year budgetary period between 2016 and 2050. Section 32(1)(b) of the Act requires that each carbon budget set by the Welsh Ministers is set at a level consistent with meeting the 2050 emissions target and the interim emissions target for any interim target year that falls within or after that budgetary period.
Regulation 2 contains interpretation provisions.
Regulation 3 sets the carbon budget for the budgetary period 2031-2035 so it is limited to an average of 73% lower than the baseline.
In accordance with section 32(3) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers in drafting these Regulations have had regard to the factors listed in section 32(3).
In accordance with section 49 of the Act, the Welsh Ministers have obtained and taken into account the advice of the advisory body 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.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2025/1268 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/climate-change-carbon-budget-wales-regulations-2025
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.