Climate Bill is strengthened

A huge loop-hole in the Climate Bill has been closed following pressure from P&Pers.

Ed Miliband, Climate Change Minister

Image © netefekt 2008 used under licence, see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.enGB

A lords amendment to the Climate Change Bill, calling for a cap on the amount of internationally tradable carbon credits, has successfully been passed.

This is hugely important for the strength of the Climate Change Bill, now the Climate Change Act, as it will ensure that the UK plays it’s part in stopping climate chaos and it’s due to pressure from P&Pers that this amendment has passed.

What was the problem

Following some great lobbying from P&Pers and other members of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, new Climate Change Minister, Ed Miliband, announced that he was increasing the Government’s target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from 60% to 80%. This is great news and shows just how much the Government are listening to campaigners like you.

However, the Climate Bill, which has set the 80% target, had a big loop-hole. Instead of having to specifically cut carbon emissions in this country, the Government and corporations would have been able to claim reduction credits by financing projects overseas. This is crazy as the target won’t actually reflect carbon reductions here in the UK and gives the Government a way to pay their way out of trouble without actually changing anything.

P&P were calling on the Government to set a 30% limit on the amount of carbon reduction that could be achieved through international financing.