Climate Change Act 2008

The government accepts that climate change is real and a challenge that must be faced now. The Bill aims to demonstrate the UK’s leadership on the issue by “setting bold targets and pursuing ambitious policies at home and abroad”.

The Bill creates a long-term legal framework to reduce carbon emissions in the UK to 2050. It will create a legally binding commitment to the government’s target of a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. 

The Bill will also introduce five-year carbon budgets; establish a new independent climate change committee; and, require the government to set out a sustainable programme of adaptation.

The draft Climate Change Bill was published in October 2006 and set out the government’s plans for legislation. It came as the Stern review was published, offering an economic assessment of climate change and its potential impact on the UK.

Opposition parties are broadly in agreement with the need for legislation on climate change. There is disagreement, however, over the plans for five yearly targets with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats calling for annual targets to avoid “NIMTO” (not in my term of office) policymaking.

During second reading in the Lords, minister of state, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Lord Rooker noted the recently published report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which claims that without “effective international reductions in emissions” there will be “dire consequences”. He went on to talk about the forthcoming negotiations in Bali next week on a post-2012 framework.

Lord Rooker said; “The Bill is an unequivocal statement that the UK will do its part in the struggle against dangerous climate change and provides a framework to help us to adapt to its unavoidable impacts.”

Lord Taylor of Holbeach (Con) welcomed the Bill. He noted what the opposition see as a “key deficiency” in the structure of the Bill. He said; “We find the government’s creation of a Committee on Climate Change purely to advise the Secretary of State to be a wholly inadequate vehicle to bring science to the heart of this great endeavour.”

He also added that overall responsibility for climate change should be with the prime minister and that there should be annual targets.

Lord Teverson (Lib Dem) said the Bill is “the most important of this session”. He talked about areas where the Bill “needs to be more fit for purpose”. The Liberal Democrats believe that a 2 degree goal should be included in the Bill. Teverson encouraged the increase of the emissions reduction target to 80 per cent rather than 60 per cent. He also called for all greenhouse gases to be included in the targets, not just carbon dioxide. He also questioned the inclusion of emissions from aviation and shipping and accounting.

Other issues discussed during the debate include; infrastructure, extreme weather, waste management, carbon credits, the Stern report, solar power, adaptation, nuclear power, emergency planning, China and India, airport capacity, land use, fly-tipping, mitigation, the price of oil, foot and mouth and avian flu.

Lord Rooker concluded the debate. He said “This is such a vital Bill and there is no government majority in this place, as everyone knows. There is a degree of consensus but, following the initial scrutiny, there will obviously be a desire to improve the Bill in lots of ways. That is something that they understand in the other place.”

 

House of Lords

First reading: November 14 2007 [HL Bill 7]

Second reading: November 27 2007

Committee of the Whole House:

• 1st day: December 11 2007
• 2nd day: December 17 2007
• 3rd day: January 8 2008
• 4th day: January 9 2008
• 5th day: January 14 2008
• 6th day: January 23 2008
• 7th day: January 30 2008
• 8th day: February 4 2008
• Bill as amended [HL Bill 29]

Report stage:

• 1st day: February 25 2008
• 2nd day: March 4 2008
• 3rd day: March 11 2008
• 4th day: March 18 2008

Third reading: March 31 2008

House of Commons

Bill as Brought from the Lords: [HC Bill 97]

First reading: April 1 2008

Second reading: June 9 2008

Climate Change Bill Committee:

• 1st sitting: June 24 2008 (am)
• 2nd sitting: June 24 2008 (pm)
  
• 3rd sitting: June 26 2008 (am)
• 4th sitting: June 26 2008 (pm)
• 5th sitting: July 1 2008 (am)
• 6th sitting: July 1 2008 (pm)
• 7th sitting: July 3 2008 (am)
• 8th sitting: July 3 2008 (pm)
• 9th sitting: July 8 2008 (am)
• 10th sitting: July 8 2008 (pm)
• Bill as amended: [HC Bill 129]

Report stage: October 28 2008

Third reading: October 28 2008

House of Lords

Consideration of Commons amendments: November 17 2008 [HL Bill 87]

House of Commons

Consideration of Lords amendments: November 18 2008 [HC Bill 169]

Royal Assent

November 26 2008