This Act includes financial policies relevant to the environment.

Updated rates of the climate change levy are set for 1 April 2026 onwards. Increased rates of the landfill tax, plastic packaging tax and aggregates tax are applied from 1 April 2025.

The Act also includes powers to prepare for the introduction of a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (UK CBAM) from 2027.

These regulations will amend the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products Regulations 2010 and Energy Information Regulations 2011. The amendments align the Northern Irish version of these regulations with updated EU Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements.

Updated Ecodesign requirements will apply to equipment including household tumble dryers, space heaters, smartphones, mobile phones, cordless phones and slate tablets.

This order will reintroduce onshore wind generating stations to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime in England.

The capacity threshold determining whether an onshore wind or solar project constitutes an NSIP will also be set at 100 MW. Onshore solar projects currently constitute NSIPs where these have a capacity of 50 MW or greater.

This EU Regulation sets out rules for the application, assessment, reassessment and administration of authorised EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism declarants (CBAM declarants).

This supports the introduction of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (EU CBAM). The EU CBAM is currently in the transitional phase, with the full regime operating from 2026.