Environmental Update (January 2009)
Climate Change Act (CCA) Receives Royal Accent
The CCA received royal accent in late 2008. The key elements of
the Act are:
- To set the greenhouse gas reduction target for 2050;
- To provide for a system of carbon budgeting;
- To establish a committee on climate change;
- To confer powers to establish trading schemes for the purpose
of limiting greenhouse has emissions;
- To make provisions about adaptation to climate change;
- To confer powers to make schemes for providing financial
incentives to produce less domestic waste and to recycle more of
what is produced;
- To make provision about the collection of household waste;
and
- To amend the provisions of the Energy Act 2004 about renewable
transport fuel obligations.
On the 1st December, the Climate Change Committee was
established as an independent body to provide advice to the
Government on the level of the first three five-yearly carbon
budgets.
The Secretary of State for the Environment will have to ensure
that the net UK carbon account for 2050 is at least 80% lower than
the 1990 baseline and that the annual equivalent of the carbon
budget for 2020 is at least 26% lower than the 1990 baseline.
By April 2009, the Government will announce proposals for the
level of the first three carbon budgets.
By June 2009, the Government should have set the first three
carbon budgets through secondary legislation.