Isle of Man climate bill targets net zero emissions by 2050

The Isle of Man has mapped out its vision for a net-zero future, having tabled a Climate Change Bill at its parliament, Tynwald, accompanied by a detailed action plan for cutting emissions.

The Climate Change Bill tabled last week commits future administrations of the self-governing jurisdiction to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Although a UK Crown Dependency, the Isle of Man - which has a population of around 83,000 people - is largely self-governing and is not covered by the UK's 2008 Climate Change Act and 2050 net zero target.

Alongside the Bill, the Isle of Man has also published an updated action plan outlining a roadmap for reaching the 2050 goal. Priority areas highlighted in the plan include improving energy efficiency in buildings, creating green jobs and a skilled workforce to deliver net zero, developing low carbon travel options, and pursuing renewable energy initiatives. Around £10m will be committed to kickstarting progress in all these areas through 2020-21, the plan states.

Further actions announced in the report include banning fossil fuel heating appliances in new build properties by 2025, developing an all-Island charging network for electric vehicles by 2030, delivering 75 per cent of the Island's electricity from renewable sources by 2035, and banning the sale of new fossil fuel cars by 2040.

The plan also focuses on the island's potential for natural carbon capture opportunities, including restoring a minimum of 1,000 acres of peatland, banning all peat cutting, planting at least 85,000 trees - one for each of the island's residents - and exploring opportunities for carbon sequestration initiatives in the surrounding sea.

It is dovetails with the Isle of Man government's updated budget for 2020-21, which created a £100m Economic Recovery Fund from Covid-19 aimed at a "green recovery".

"The drafting of the Climate Change Bill represents a very significant step forward for the Isle of Man's commitment to reducing our emissions and reaching net zero by 2050," said Geoffrey Boot, the Isle of Man's Minister for the Environment, Food and Agriculture.

"Our plan proposes a new approach to climate action that really captures the progress we've inadvertently made during lockdown, whilst also reflecting the new economic, health, social and environmental realities we all face in the midst of the global pandemic," he added.