This Act applies a binding net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 in Northern Ireland.
A range of supporting targets and actions are also set out, including on renewable electricity, waste recycling and sectoral emissions reduction plans.
The Climate Change Committee’s annual progress report on reducing emissions has been published. This assesses the UK's progress against its emissions reduction targets, concluding that major policy gaps remain and that progress to date has been slow.
UK emissions rose by 4% in 2021 from 2020, which was attributed to the economy recovering from the pandemic.
This order enables regulations to be made implementing the International Maritime Organisation's International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments 2004 in the UK.
These regulations amended the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012.
Three time-limited exemptions are applied on the use of restricted phthalates in certain medical devices and the associated spare parts.
The Companies (Strategic Report) (Climate-related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022 came into force on 6 April 2022.
These regulations require a range of larger companies to undertake climate-related financial disclosures alongside their strategic reports for each financial year. Reporting duties are aligned to the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) standard.
Disclosures in line with the TCFD standard are required for any financial year that begins on or after 6 April 2022.
The Building Safety Act 2022 (Commencement No. 1, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2022 will bring a range of sections of the Building Safety Act 2022 into force on various dates throughout 2022.
These regulations aim to apply a more stringent building control regime for higher-risk buildings in England. Dutyholders will be required to manage these risks during design, construction and occupancy. A safety case will be required for these buildings, in order to prevent a major incident.