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

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

	Published : Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:57 By : Agencies Print this Story

(Adds quotes, details)

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

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.

Environment Secretary David Miliband rejected opposition calls for annual targets on reducing emissions.

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have indicated they will table amendments to the Bill to introduce yearly targets.

'Changing your policy on the basis of one year's weather isn't a sensible way of doing things,' Miliband told the BBC.

'We think it's right that every five years we set carbon budgets in legislation, that we give business confidence about a 15-year period ahead so that we can really invest for the future.

'Instead we need a framework of legislation which gives real confidence to business and to individuals about the way in which our country's going to change to meet the climate change challenge.'

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

Brown, locked in a 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, which 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.

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/fp/ro

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