Written Statement: Fourth Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Inter-ministerial Group

During the last Senedd term, as Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs,  I attended the fourth meeting of the Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG).

• The meeting was chaired by Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform. The meeting was also attended by Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands Edwin Poots MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland Executive, and Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth (BEIS).

The meeting included discussion on possible changes in the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). We also discussed the next steps following the publication of the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy. Finally we looked ahead to how the four administrations would need to work together during the development of the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy.