Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the additional cost to ferry travellers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a result of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Impact Assessment does not identify significant consumer price impacts and finds that compliance costs for domestic maritime operators are modest relative to their overall operating costs, with fuel and carbon costs forming only one part of total running costs. These findings are consistent with international evidence showing changes to ferry ticket prices in the low single digit range under equivalent carbon pricing.
The Government will review the maritime element of the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme in 2028 to ensure that its impacts remain accurate, proportionate and fully assessed as the sector continues to decarbonise.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide an exemption to passenger ferry operators between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the provisions of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026 which is similar to the exemption for operators to the Scottish Islands.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is a high bar for any exemptions from the UK ETS. We are exempting ferries serving Scotland’s islands and peninsula communities given the unique and pressing challenges they face and the legal duties to consider island populations under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.
We will be evaluating the impacts of the scheme, as well as the existing exemptions, in a review of the maritime regime in 2028. We will not be extending this exemption to other UK islands at this time.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timescale for the development of the Sizewell C nuclear plant.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Sizewell C Ltd plan to begin operating the power plant in the mid- to late-2030s.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for financing a 'just transition' for climate change.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The net zero transition is not only the economic opportunity of the century, but it will also support the creation of hundreds of thousands of good jobs across the UK, protect our economy from future price shocks that reliance on fossil fuels create, while delivering a range of social and health benefits.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any targets have not been met in relation to climate change policy, legislation and regulations.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
The Climate Change Act sets our commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 in law as well as interim ‘carbon budget’ targets which set a legal limit on net territorial emissions over 5-year periods. The UK over-achieved against the first, second and third UK-wide carbon budget targets. We are now in the fourth carbon budget (2023-2027). The UK has already halved its emissions, having cut them by around 53% between 1990 and 2023.
Looking ahead to future climate change targets, the Government will deliver an updated Carbon Budget Delivery Plan that will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver carbon budgets 4-6 on a pathway to net zero by 2050. The Government will set Carbon Budget 7 by June 2026, in line with our statutory duties.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist in the introduction of a renewable energy support scheme in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Energy policy is devolved to Northern Ireland. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is engaging closely with the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE) in the development of a renewable electricity support scheme. Officials and I engage regularly with ministerial counterparts from the DfE. The DfE published information last year on the scheme’s high-level design considerations[1] .