Written - Climate Change Bill

I would like to welcome the publication of the Climate Change Bill today.

The Bill is a very positive step in the fight to tackle climate change and will make the UK the first country in the world to have a legally binding long term framework to cut CO2 emissions and adapt to climate change.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, published a Command Paper ‘Taking Forward the UK Climate Change Bill’ which contained the UK Government response to the pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation on the Bill on 29 October.  

Key changes from the draft Bill which was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation include:

• Strengthening the role and responsibilities of the Committee on Climate Change, including by requiring the Government to seek the Committee’s advice before amending the 2020 or 2050 targets in the Bill;
• Strengthening the Committee’s independence from Government, by confirming that it will appoint its own chief executive and staff, and increasing its analytical resources;
• Increased transparency, by requiring the Committee to publish its analysis and advice to Government on setting five-yearly carbon budgets, which are designed to provide clarity on the UK’s route towards its reduction targets; 
• Strengthening Parliament’s ability to hold Government to account, by requiring the Government to explain its reasons to Parliament if it does not accept the Committee’s advice on the level of the carbon budget, or if it does not meet a budget or target; 
• Providing better information and streamlining reporting, including requiring the Government to report annually to Parliament on emissions from international aviation and shipping, in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; and
• Strengthening the country’s preparedness for climate change by requiring the Government regularly to assess the risks of climate change to the UK, and to report to Parliament on its proposals and policies for sustainable adaptation to climate change.

The Committee on Climate Change will also be asked to report on whether the Government’s target to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 60 percent by 2050 should be strengthened further and to look at the implications of including other greenhouse gases and emissions from international aviation and shipping in the UK’s targets as part of this review.

The Assembly Government has worked closely with the UK Government and other devolved administrations on the development of the Climate Change Bill and the Bill strengthens the Assembly Government’s ability to act on climate change.    

Welsh Ministers will be required to lay before the Assembly a report on their objectives, actions and priorities in relation to greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of climate change in Wales and to report on progress.

The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 will be amended to ensure that, in future, the Welsh Ministers, rather than the Secretary of State, will be responsible for publishing guidance for local authorities in Wales on climate change.

The Assembly Government, alongside the UK Government and other devolved administrations will appoint and sponsor the Committee on Climate Change.  The Assembly Government will be able to seek the Committee’s expert advice in developing, and delivering on, its own emission reduction targets.

The Welsh Ministers are also given powers to make trading schemes in relation to activities which are capable of causing environmental pollution and an express power to allow the purchase offset credits.

The Assembly Government and the other devolved administrations have a key role to play when the Secretary of State sets the carbon budget and in reviewing targets.  The Bill ensures that the devolved administrations will have three months to feed in their comments and that the Secretary of State must publish a statement that sets out whether, and how, s/he has taken account of the devolved administrations’ views.  

This is a strong legislative proposal to help tackle climate change and it will help Wales play its part in addressing this key challenge.