Debate contribution: The draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 28 January 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- The draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4764063
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Committee Chair and the Members who contributed to the debate. To summarise, the draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2025 will implement two technical and operational changes to the UK ETS that relate specifically to the treatment and definition of stationary installations that permanently cease to undertake an activity that is regulated by the scheme. The amendments will not impact on Northern Ireland electricity-generating installations, which continue to participate in the EU scheme under the Windsor framework in order to maintain the single electricity market. The Order will eliminate the risk of an installation's receiving an excess of free allowances in its final year of operation and will amend and clarify the definition of "permanent cessation". In addition, and to reiterate my opening remarks, the Order does not extend the scope of the scheme to additional industrial sectors at this time. Further amendments to expand the scope of the UK ETS to other industrial sectors, such as waste incineration and domestic maritime, to increase the effectiveness of the scheme and further contribute to the UK and devolved Administrations' net zero climate objectives are the subject of ongoing and future UK-wide consultation exercises. In order that we in Northern Ireland, along with the rest of the UK, can continue with our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the effective implementation of the UK ETS, we need to approve the Order. Declan McAleer asked about the EU ETS and UK ETS working together on the issues, whether by alignment or by joining the schemes together. That can only be beneficial not just for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom but for the European Union. We need to reduce friction and additional confusion or work that businesses have to do, because we need to deliver green growth in the UK economy and more broadly. I continue to raise with the UK Government the need to look at alignment and at working more in partnership as part of that reset with the European Union.
I hope that I have addressed all the Members' queries. I have just one query for the Speaker. Mr Speaker, I have not yet read your guidance, but I will read it today. I hope that your direction on ties does not exclude my bow ties. That would hopefully not be your desire.
389 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.71).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.08 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.71 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.58 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.40 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:55 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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