UK Climate Change Bill to contain mandatory carbon emission 'budgets'

UK Climate Change Bill to contain mandatory carbon emission 'budgets'

	Published : Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:47 By : Agencies Print this Story

LONDON (AFX) - Britain plans to introduce mandatory carbon emission 'budgets' in its draft Bill on climate change, which will be published later this morning.

Chancellor Gordon Brown gave the details in a speech last night, saying the measure would be Britain's first law, if enacted, that would set a target on greenhouse gas emissions.

Publication of the Bill will be marked by an event at Downing Street by Brown, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Environment Secretary David Miliband.

Brown, locked in a desperate popularity battle with opposition Conservative Party leader David Cameron, yesterday said the targets would be set after advice from an independent 'Committee on Climate Change'.

'The Bill will require an annual parliamentary report on progress by government: a wholly new way of managing the UK's climate change effort, sustained by proper public accountability,' he said.

'Just as we manage our financial budgets over the economic cycle with prudence and discipline, so we will have to manage our carbon budgets with the same prudence and discipline.'

'Chancellors of the Exchequer will now count the carbon as they currently count the pounds.'

The environment is now likely to be the main battleground for the next general election. Cameron, who leads Brown in opinion polls, has also unveiled a series of planned 'green taxes' on air travel.

These also have given him the edge over Brown in the environmental debate.

Cameron wants VAT imposed on domestic flights and a passenger duty calculated on how many flights a person takes in a given year.

He also wants to tax the number of flights instead of a duty paid by each passenger.

Cameron attacked Brown's decision to double the Air Passenger Duty last year, which critics say is little more than a tax grab by the Treasury.

He said the APD 'is not directly linked to carbon emissions, and provides no incentives for airlines to use more fuel-efficient aircraft'.

Brown warned that any changes to the current tax system to punish polluters would have to be 'considered, costed, credible and consumer-friendly, not ill-conceived, short-termist, unworkable and unfair'.

newsdesk@afxnews.com

fp/cml

The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.

AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited