Climate Change Act 2008 - key provisions/milestones
Rationale
Two key aims underpinning the Act:
- to improve carbon management and help the transition towards a low carbon economy in the UK; and
- to demonstrate strong UK leadership internationally, signalling that we are committed to taking our share of responsibility for reducing global emissions in the context of developing negotiations on a post-2012 global agreement at Copenhagen next year.
Key Provisions
- Legally binding targets: Green house gas emission reductions through action in the UK and abroad of at least 80% by 2050, and reductions in CO2 emissions of at least 26% by 2020, against a 1990 baseline. The 2020 target will be reviewed soon after Royal Assent to reflect the move to all greenhouse gases and the increase in the 2050 target to 80%.
- A carbon budgeting system which caps emissions over five year periods, with three budgets set at a time, to set out our trajectory to 2050. The first three carbon budgets will run from 2008-12, 2013-17 and 2018-22, and must be set by 1 June 2009. The Government must report to Parliament its policies and proposals to meet the budgets as soon as practical after that.
- The creation of the Committee on Climate Change, a new independent, expert body to advise Government on the level of carbon budgets and where cost effective savings could be made. The Committee will submit annual reports to Parliament on the UK’s progress towards targets and budgets to which the Government must respond, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability on an annual basis.
- International aviation and shipping emissions - the Government will include international aviation and shipping emissions in the Act or explain why not to Parliament by 31 December 2012. The Committee on Climate Change is required to advise the Government on the consequences of including emissions from international aviation and shipping in the Bill’s targets and budgets. Projected emissions from international aviation and shipping must be taken into account in making decisions on carbon budgets.
- Use of International credits - Government is required to “have regard to the need for UK domestic action on climate change” when considering how to meet the UK’s targets and carbon budgets. The independent Committee on Climate Change has a duty to advise on the appropriate balance between action at domestic, European and international level, for each carbon budget. The Government also amended the Bill in its final stages to require a limit to be set on the purchase of credits for each budgetary period, by secondary legislation requiring debate in both Houses of Parliament, and taking into account the Committee’s advice.
- Further measures to reduce emissions include powers to introduce domestic emissions trading schemes more quickly and easily through secondary legislation; measures on biofuels; powers to introduce pilot financial incentive schemes in England for household waste; powers to require a minimum charge for single-use carrier bags (excluding Scotland).
- On adaptation the Government must report at least every five years on the risks to the UK of climate change, and publish a programme setting out how these impacts will be addressed. The Act also introduces powers for Government to require public bodies and statutory undertakers1 to carry out their own risk assessment and make plans to address those risks.
- An Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change, in order to provide advice to and scrutiny of the Government’s adaptation work.
- A requirement for the Government to issue guidance next year on the way companies should report their greenhouse gas emissions, and to review the contribution reporting could make to emissions reductions by 1st December 2010. Requirement also that the Government must, by 6th April 2012, use powers under the Companies Act to mandate reporting, or explain to Parliament why it has not done so.
- New powers to support the creation of a Community Energy Savings Programme, as announced by the Prime Minister on 11 September 2008 (by extending the existing Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme to electricity generators).
- New requirement for annual publication of a report on the efficiency and sustainability of the Government estate.
Key milestones
- 1 December 2008: Committee on Climate Change established as an independent body
- 1 December 2008: Committee on Climate Change provides advice to Government on the level of the first three carbon budgets and its full review of the 2050 target - see www.theccc.org.uk
- Spring 2009: Government to announce proposals for the level of the first three carbon budgets alongside the (fiscal) Budget 2009
- 1 June 2009: deadline for Government to set the first three carbon budgets through secondary legislation agreed by both Houses of Parliament
- Mid 2009: Government will publish policies and proposals to meet the first three carbon budgets
In this context “statutory undertakers” are utilities companies which provide a public service.
Page last modified: 1 December 2008
Page published: 24 June 2008
