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Climate Change Act 2008
Climate Change Act 2008
The Climate Change Act 2008 became law on 26th November 2008. It provides a legally binding framework to tackle the dangers of climate change. The Act extends throughout the UK.
Copies of the Climate Change Act 2008 can be obtained via the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI): UK Statute Law Database here 
Key provisions of the Act
- A legally binding target of at least an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to be achieved through action in the UK and abroad. There is also a target to reduce emissions by at least 34% by 2020 against a 1990 baseline.
- 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 were set in May 2009.The fourth carbon budget will be for the period 2023-27. The Government must report to Parliament its policies and proposals to meet the budgets and it did this by way of the UK low Carbon Transmission Plan in July 2009. The DECC low carbon UK website can be found here
- 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 can be made. The Committee will submit annual reports to Parliament on the UK’s progress towards targets and budgets. The Government must respond to these annual reports, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability on an annual basis. The Committee's first annual report, 'Meeting Carbon Budgets - the need for a step change' was published in October 2009 and the Government response in January 2010. More details on the Committee can be found here
- International aviation and shipping emissions – the Government must include provision for international aviation and shipping emissions in the Act or explain to Parliament why it has not done so 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 Act’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, taking into account the Committee’s advice, is required to set a limit on the purchase of credits for each budgetary period. For the first budgetary period a zero limit was set in May 2009, excluding units bought by UK participants in the EU Emissions Trading System.
- 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.
- In June 2009 an Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change was appointed. It's purpose is to provide advise and scrutiny throught the CCC to ensure that the Governments programme for adaptation enables the UK to prepare effectively for the impacts of a climate change.
- A requirement for the Government to issue guidance by 1 October 2009 on the way companies should report their greenhouse gas emissions, and to review the contribution reporting could make to emissions reductions by 1 December 2010. Requirement also that the Government must, by 6 April 2012, use powers under the Companies Act to mandate reporting, or explain to Parliament why it has not done so. Guidance on how UK businesses and organisations should measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions was published on 30 September 2009. You can access the guidance here.
Timeline of Key events
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 targets – see the CCC website for further details here
22 April 2009: Government announces proposals for the level of the first three carbon budgets alongside the (fiscal) Budget.
1 June 2009: deadline for Government to set the first three carbon budgets through secondary legislation agreed by both Houses of Parliament. Copies of the Carbon Budgets Order 2009 can be obtained via the Office of public Sector Information (OPSI): UK Statute Law Databse
Key documents
Previous key documents relating to the Climate Change Act 2008 can be accessed here
UK CARBON BUDGETS
The UK government announced on 22 April 2009, alongside the fiscal budget, its intentions regarding the first UK carbon budgets which are designed to put the UK on the right trajectory to meet targets under the Climate Change Act 2008. Full details of the carbon budget can be found on HM Treasury website here
The UK government engaged with the Devolved Administrations in preparing policies and proposals to reflect the new carbon budgets. A comprehensive strategy statement, 'The low carbon transition Plan', reflecting all of this was published in July 2009.
The Low Carbon Transition Plan sets out how the UK would reduce emissions to meet the carbon budgets and provided that responsibility would be shared across the key UK Departments by the creation of Departmental carbon budgets. The transition plan can be accessed at the link below
The UK Low carbon transition plan
In March 2010 the Government published Carbon Reduction Delivery and Adaptation Plans. These plans set out for each department how the aims of the Department relate to Climate Change, the measures they will be taking to ensure delivery of emissions reductions and the indicators and milestones used to monitor progress. The devolved administrations are reflected in those plans including the Northern Ireland Departments. These plans can be accessed below
Carbon Reduction Delivery and Adaptation Plans
|
Climate Change Act 2008
The Climate Change Act 2008 became law on 26th November 2008. It provides a legally binding framework to tackle the dangers of climate change. The Act extends throughout the UK.
Copies of the Climate Change Act 2008 can be obtained via the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI): UK Statute Law Database here
Key provisions of the Act
- A legally binding target of at least an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to be achieved through action in the UK and abroad. There is also a target to reduce emissions by at least 34% by 2020 against a 1990 baseline.
- 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 were set in May 2009.The fourth carbon budget will be for the period 2023-27. The Government must report to Parliament its policies and proposals to meet the budgets and it did this by way of the UK low Carbon Transmission Plan in July 2009. The DECC low carbon UK website can be found here
- 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 can be made. The Committee will submit annual reports to Parliament on the UK’s progress towards targets and budgets. The Government must respond to these annual reports, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability on an annual basis. The Committee's first annual report, 'Meeting Carbon Budgets - the need for a step change' was published in October 2009 and the Government response in January 2010. More details on the Committee can be found here
- International aviation and shipping emissions – the Government must include provision for international aviation and shipping emissions in the Act or explain to Parliament why it has not done so 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 Act’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, taking into account the Committee’s advice, is required to set a limit on the purchase of credits for each budgetary period. For the first budgetary period a zero limit was set in May 2009, excluding units bought by UK participants in the EU Emissions Trading System.
- 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.
- In June 2009 an Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change was appointed. It's purpose is to provide advise and scrutiny throught the CCC to ensure that the Governments programme for adaptation enables the UK to prepare effectively for the impacts of a climate change.
- A requirement for the Government to issue guidance by 1 October 2009 on the way companies should report their greenhouse gas emissions, and to review the contribution reporting could make to emissions reductions by 1 December 2010. Requirement also that the Government must, by 6 April 2012, use powers under the Companies Act to mandate reporting, or explain to Parliament why it has not done so. Guidance on how UK businesses and organisations should measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions was published on 30 September 2009. You can access the guidance here.
Timeline of Key events
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 targets – see the CCC website for further details here
22 April 2009: Government announces proposals for the level of the first three carbon budgets alongside the (fiscal) Budget.
1 June 2009: deadline for Government to set the first three carbon budgets through secondary legislation agreed by both Houses of Parliament. Copies of the Carbon Budgets Order 2009 can be obtained via the Office of public Sector Information (OPSI): UK Statute Law Databse
Key documents
Previous key documents relating to the Climate Change Act 2008 can be accessed here
UK CARBON BUDGETS
The UK government announced on 22 April 2009, alongside the fiscal budget, its intentions regarding the first UK carbon budgets which are designed to put the UK on the right trajectory to meet targets under the Climate Change Act 2008. Full details of the carbon budget can be found on HM Treasury website here
The UK government engaged with the Devolved Administrations in preparing policies and proposals to reflect the new carbon budgets. A comprehensive strategy statement, 'The low carbon transition Plan', reflecting all of this was published in July 2009.
The Low Carbon Transition Plan sets out how the UK would reduce emissions to meet the carbon budgets and provided that responsibility would be shared across the key UK Departments by the creation of Departmental carbon budgets. The transition plan can be accessed at the link below
The UK Low carbon transition plan
In March 2010 the Government published Carbon Reduction Delivery and Adaptation Plans. These plans set out for each department how the aims of the Department relate to Climate Change, the measures they will be taking to ensure delivery of emissions reductions and the indicators and milestones used to monitor progress. The devolved administrations are reflected in those plans including the Northern Ireland Departments. These plans can be accessed below
Carbon Reduction Delivery and Adaptation Plans
