The UK government has legally committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 against 1990 levels. The Climate Change Act, which became law on 26 November, legally binds the UK government to reducing carbon emissions. It is the first piece of legislation of its kind in the world.
The Energy Act, which was passed this week too, included an amendment on feed-in tariffs, which was recently added following strong lobbying. Feed-in tariffs guarantee set prices for the generators of renewable power fed back into the grid. Their adoption is held as a key factor in enabling the UK to have a hope of meeting its target.
In Germany, the adoption of feed-in tariffs in the 1990s has increased the country’s percentage of power generation from renewables to around 12% of the gross electricity consumption. Presently, the UK produces around 2% of its total energy consumption from renewable sources.
Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said: “Setting the 80% target was the easy part: now the work really begins. Government, communities, businesses and individuals need to work together to bring about change.
“The Energy and Planning Acts will be instrumental in reducing carbon emissions, removing barriers to enable industry to invest in important new infrastructure, and giving individuals and communities the incentive to use energy more efficiently and generate their own heat and energy.
“With over 40 per cent of emissions coming from the choices we make as individuals, the new People Power Challenge aims to show the small steps we can each take so together we can make a big difference. I hope the volunteers, their action and their enthusiasm, will inspire others across the country to ACT ON CO2.”
The Government’s impact assessment of the Climate Change Act states that the legislation will cost somewhere between £30bn and £205bn, while the financial benefits are calculated between £82bn and £110bn. As the Stern Review noted the impact of not acting now will merely make the cost greater on future generations.
Specific step change targets, which will be binding carbon budgets, will be announced in spring 2009. The Committee on Climate Change was established as an independent body on 1 December 2008. Already, it has been tasked to advise the Government on the level of the first three carbon budgets and to deliver a full review of the 2050 target.
The built environment accounts for nearly half CO2 emissions in the UK; residential properties and households (which are whatgreenhome.com’s areas of specific interest) are responsible for 27% of carbon dioxide emissions. Clear and binding targets to reduce the figures will be set in the sector, as it will in aviation, shipping and others.
The Climate Change Act is bold and takes power out of the hands of ministers and makes the pledges enforceable by law. Just who would be punished should the targets not be met (the Government, each and every one of us?) remains unclear and in reality means no one would be. But for now, the adoption of the Climate Change Bill into an Act is to be applauded.
