Proposal to create independent 'Climate Council'

Friday 23 December 2022

The Environment Minister has brought forward proposals for an independent scientific ‘Climate Council’ to monitor and evaluate the island’s journey towards carbon neutrality.

Made up of five members, the ‘Council’ would be responsible for preparing a report for the States Assembly once every four years which both measures progress on reducing carbon emissions as well as providing “science-backed” advice for meeting future targets.

Membership would be expected to include expertise in the fields of energy, economics, climate technology and income inequality, with "at least one member" a full-time Jersey resident.

Each role would be paid "due to the level of expertise required", with fixed rates for each member agreed in advance of appointments.

Final decisions on the membership will be made by the Assistant Minister with responsibility for Energy and Climate Change, and the Chair of the Environment Scrutiny Panel.

Pictured: The creation of a Climate Council was added to the Carbon Neutral Roadmap - the island's plan for getting to net zero emissions - after a successful amendment by backbenchers responsible for scrutinising the environmental policy document.

In a report accompanying his proposition, Environment Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf said he estimated the "high-level costs" for the Council to be between £40,000 and £60,000 once every four years – a figure including their pay and potential travel expenses, as well as the recruitment of a part-time member of staff to assist with preparing the four-yearly report.

If States Members give the plan the green light, he said he would expect the recruitment and appointment of the Council to take place in the early part of 2025, and the first report to be published in the first quarter of 2026.

The idea of establishing a Climate Council results from a successful amendment to the Government's proposed Carbon Neutral Roadmap by the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel.

Ahead of debate on the plan in April this year, the panel argued at the time that an "independent, scientific council will enhance the governance and oversight of the long-term delivery of the Carbon Neutral Roadmap through providing weight and accountability to climate policy processes" and that such councils had been used elsewhere to make "reliable, evidence-based recommendations" and are seen as "as credible monitors of progress towards a country's climate aims."

The proposition is currently scheduled for debate in February.