Local authorities In October 2021, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs launched a public consultation on a Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland 4³. The Green Growth Strategy is the Northern Ireland Executive's multi-decade strategy, balancing climate, environment and the economy in Northern Ireland. It sets out the long-term vision for tackling the climate crisis and will be underpinned by the provisions of the recently passed Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 with which it closely aligns. This longer-term Strategy will be delivered through a series of Climate Action Plans aligned to carbon budget periods, the first of which is to be developed by the end of 2023 and which will set out a series of policies and proposals to achieve the first carbon budget for the period 2023-27. The Green Growth Strategy is currently awaiting sign off by the NI Executive. Additionally, The Path to Net Zero44 is Northern Ireland's current energy strategy and sets a long-term vision of net zero carbon and affordable energy for Northern Ireland by 2050. 43 Consultation on the draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-draft-green-growth-strategy-northern-ireland 44 Northern Ireland Energy Strategy - Path to Net Zero Energy https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/energy-strategy-path-net-zero-energy