Britain to adopt world's toughest carbon emission laws
14 Mar 2007
London: Britain is set to enact the toughest laws on carbon emission in the world in an effort to reduce its impact on global warming, Tony Blair announced today. As it stands, the proposals will make the UK the first country in the world to impose legally binding five-year limits on carbon emissions.
The British prime minister declared the proposals, under the draft Climate Change Bill, a "revolutionary step" as he unveiled them to an audience of teenagers at Downing Street.
According to Blair, the legislation would strike a balance between the needs of the economy and the requirement to limit the environmental and social damage likely to be brought about by climate change over the next century.
Aviation and shipping are to be excluded in the initial stages of the scheme, which, however, will focus on all other sectors of society.
Amongst the proposals in the draft Bill is one for five-year "carbon budgets" that will limit the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted nationally, with the first target set for 2008-12. According to David Miliband, the environment secretary, the Bill is likely to receive Royal Assent by Easter next year.
According to provisions in the draft Bill, the carbon budget will be set by the Government after taking advice from the new Committee on Climate Change and it will rely on a mixture of market forces, voluntary action and laws to meet targets.
The five-year limits are part of a rolling 15-year program designed to achieve a statutory target of at least 26 per cent reduction of carbon by 2020 and 60 per cent by 2050, compared with 1990 levels.
Business groups, environmentalists and scientists have broadly welcomed the proposals, amidst some criticism that the provisions did not go far enough.
