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Public Body Reporting

The Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 set climate change reporting duties on specified public body organisations.

‘This page is in development and subject to change. Please contact the Climate NI team directly if you have further questions.’

Welcome to Climate NI’s Public Body Reporting (PBR) information hub  for Northern Ireland. It is a centralised resource designed to support public bodies in fulfilling their climate change reporting obligations under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 which are set by The Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 (‘the Public Body Reporting Regulations’).

To assist public bodies in meeting their duties under these regulations, this page will be updated in due course to provide access to a range of resources, including:

  • DAERA’s online reporting portal and associated guidance for reporting (when available);
  • dedicated sections for the Peer Support Network;
  • Climate NI toolkits; and
  • training materials (will be updated over time).

Explore the links below to learn more about the regulations, access support tools, and stay informed on upcoming deadlines.

Climate NI

The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) received Royal Assent in June 2022, creating a target for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Interim greenhouse gas emissions targets have also been set for Northern Ireland, including:

The Act contains a legal requirement for all NICS Departments to ensure that targets and carbon budgets are met.

Section 42 of the Act requires the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to make regulations which place reporting duties on specified public bodies.

 

The Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

The Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 sets climate change reporting duties on large-sized public body organisations. The list of the 40 individual bodies specified can be viewed here.

Delivering on the requirements of section 42 of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, the regulations came into operation in May 2024.

The regulations were informed by:

  • Consultation – Analysis of responses to DAERA’s extended 13-week public consultation in 2023 and the pre-consultation workshops with public bodies in the latter quarter of 2022.
  • Engagement with other government officials – including policy, sectoral and Climate Action Plan leads, etc.
  • Advice from the UK Climate Change Committee – on timing and frequency of reporting.

 

Climate Change Reporting Requirements

The regulations place reporting duties on the specified public bodies covering both:

  • adaptation; and
  • mitigation.

Reporting on adaptation and mitigation is split between two separate reporting cycles, so the reports will not be required to be submitted at the same time.

 

Timeline

Regulation 5(1) – Climate Change Mitigation Reports

  • First report due 31st October 2025
  • Second report due 31st October 2028, and every other report every 3 years after.

Regulation 4(1) – Climate Change Adaptation Reports

  • First report due 31st March 2026
  • Second report due 31st January 2030
  • Third report due 31st January 2035, and every other report every 5 years after.

 

Support to Reporting Bodies

DAERA are providing support to reporting bodies through:

i. Provision of an online reporting portal for public bodies to insert data/information into and to submit their reports.

ii. Provision of co-designed guidance on mitigation and adaptation reporting.

iii. Establishment of a public body co-design group / workshops with reporting bodies to help inform and update the online portal (including its climate change questions) and associated guidance, etc. as appropriate.

iv. Provision of training to help them report.

v. Help desk for public bodies to contact DAERA’s Public Body Reporting Team with any queries or for further information.

 

DAERA support:

Help desk to contact DAERA’s Public Body Reporting Team with any queries/or for further information regarding the Regulations and reporting requirements at Email: ClimatePBR@daera-ni.gov.uk  or Telephone: 028 9081 6611. Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays)