Portsmouth Climate Action Network

Key amendment to Climate Bill lost

By Sue James, on 16-06-2008 11:40

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Published in : News, News

The UK government has rejected amendments by the House of Lords that would have strengthened the UK’s flagship climate change bill.

A major flaw of the bill is that it allows the emission reduction targets to be met through paying for carbon ‘offsets’ from developing countries, rather than reducing emissions in the UK. The House of Lords amended the bill in March so that a maximum of 30 per cent of the reduction in emissions could happen through buying ‘offsets’.The bill began its passage through the House of Commons on Monday 9^th June, with the government rejecting the House of Lords amendment. This means that there is no limit on how much of the emissions reduction targets which can be met through buying carbon ‘offsets’ rather than making genuine reductions in the UK. Tim Jones, policy officer for climate change at the World Development Movement said: “The World Development Movement is very disappointed that the government has thrown out amendments made by the House of Lords which would have strengthened the climate bill. The government has weakened this bill so that, as it stands, it will not require any reduction in the UK’s contribution to climate change. “The government is still refusing to include aviation emissions within the bill. It is also allowing targets for reducing emissions to be met through paying for carbon ‘offsets’ rather than actually reducing emissions in the UK. The government has failed to acknowledge that the success of this bill is vital for the future of millions of people in the developing world.” The reality is that with rich countries responsible for 54 per cent of emissions (from 18 per cent of the world’s population) it is simple maths that global emissions cannot be cut enough without countries like the UK making serious cuts domestically, as well as helping poor countries develop low-carbon economies. Nearly all the emission “cuts” the government claims the

made from 2004 to 2006 came from buying credits from abroad. Unfortunately not only are many of these schemes actually scams, even if they did what they claim to do – i.e. stop carbon rising in the country concerned by X amount, that would of course mean no actual reduction in current global carbon levels as we really need. WDM has a new parliamentary briefing available which is based on their report Mind the Gap. See their website or ring 020 7820 4900.

Over 250 MPs, 167 of them Labour, have signed an Early Day Motion calling for aviation emissions to be included in the bill, and for the reduction target to be increased to 80 per cent by 2050. As well as refusing to include emissions from aviation in the bill, the government has also failed to raise the target for reducing emissions from 60 per cent to 80 per cent.

Last update : 16-06-2008 11:43