In a speech given today, the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man Howard Quayle MHK announced that a bill to tackle climate change would be introduced into the parliamentary branches before the end of the next legislative year.
He said:
'The Climate Change Bill will commit this government and future administrations to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in line with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.'
The Chief Minister also outlined an imminent action plan to include:
- new building regulations which include the introduction of a SAP energy efficiency rating for homes with an escalating target for all new properties, to be brought into July Tynwald
- the launch of a retro fit competition for houses, the re-launch of the energy efficiency grant scheme and the banning of peat cutting within months
- all fossil fuel boilers will be banned in new build housing by 2025, the sale of new fossil fuel cars will be banned by 2040 and cycle racks and showers will be installed at all suitable public buildings, as well as introducing incentives for tree planting under the imminent revisions of the agricultural support scheme
The Chief Minister concluded:
'This government recognises the climate change emergency that is facing the planet, and we are committed to acting on this. We are not about words, we are about the actions that we take and we will work with Tynwald members, the public and interested groups to put in place a comprehensive action plan to reach this achievable target.'
