OpenLegislation

The Climate Change (Net Welsh Emissions Account Credit Limit) (Wales) Regulations 2025

W.S.I. 2025/1269 · 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 33(4) 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. 2Interpretation
  3. 3Carbon units limit
  4. Signature
  5. Explanatory note

1Title and coming into force

(1)

The title of these Regulations is the Climate Change (Net Welsh Emissions Account Credit Limit) (Wales) Regulations 2025.

(2)

These Regulations come into force on 5 December 2025.

2Interpretation

In these Regulations, “carbon budget”, “budgetary period”, “net Welsh emissions account” and “carbon unit” have the same meaning as in Part 2 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (see sections 31(1), 31(3), 33 and 36(1) of that Act).

3Carbon units limit

The limit on the amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account for the budgetary period 2026-2030 is 0% of the carbon budget.

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 set a limit on the amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account, in accordance with section 33(4) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (“the Act”).

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.

Section 33(4) of the Act requires the Welsh Ministers to set a limit on the amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account for a carbon budget period.

Regulation 2 contains interpretation provisions.

Regulation 3 limits the number of carbon units that may be credited to the net Welsh emissions account for the budgetary period 2026-2030 to 0% of the carbon budget.

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.