Ms Sharon Finegan:

The overall objective of the Bill is to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and the way the Bill is structured means there will be three carbon budgets over a 15-year period - five years for each - and each of them will aim to reduce carbon emissions by 7% on average, per annum. It is extremely ambitious and as it is outlined, and as that staging and process works, I do not necessarily see that there will be an opportunity for the backloading of ambition. It is clear that the delivery of the carbon budgetary process is to be aligned with Government policy, which is a 7% reduction per annum, and that is a steep, challenging and highly ambitious target, and rightly so.