An act to set a target for the year 2050 for the reduction of targeted greenhouse gas emissions. The climate change act sets legally binding targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the uk by at least 80% by 2050, from 1990 levels. The act, along with related issues such as a 2030 decarbonisation target for the electricity sector, is the subject of heated debate at the heart of uk climate policy. The uk low carbon transition plan national strategy for climate and energy the new predictions from the met of. The uks 2008 climate change act, which requires a reduction of at least 80% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, relative to 1990 concentrations, alongside interim carbon budgets agreed up to 2032, represents one of the most ambitious legislative instruments to address climate change mitigation in. It introduced the uks longterm legally binding 2050 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% relative to 1990 levels. The uk has committed to becoming a net zero economy by 2050. The climate change act 2008 received royal assent on 26 november 2008. Climate change act that put uk targets emissions reduction targets into law with. The origins of the 2008 uk climate change act posted on february 19, 2016 by roger andrews on 28 october 2008, at the bills third reading, 463 of 466 mps list of names here voted to pass the uk climate change act without really having any idea what they were voting for. Climate change act legal requirements nhs requirements. The lancet countdown on health benefits from the uk. Law in force 7 consultation on order setting or amending target percentages 1 before laying before parliament a draft of a statutory instrument containing an order under. The government published the first risk assessment on 25 january 2012.
The act sets up a framework for the uk to achieve its longterm goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure steps are taken towards adapting to the impact of climate change. This article examines the potential implications of the united kingdom s exit from the european union so. Jun 18, 2009 this paper evaluates the united kingdom s climate change act of 2008 in terms of the implied rates of decarbonization of the uk economy for a shortterm and a longterm target established in law. The climate change act 2008 requires a ukwide climate change risk assessment to be carried out every five years. It sets in place a legally binding framework allowing the government to introduce measures which will achieve carbon reduction and mitigate and adapt to climate change. Climate change is the longterm change in global weather patterns, associated especially with increases in temperature, precipitation, and storm activity benson, 2008. Annual targets for greenhouse gas emissions must also be set, after consultation the relevant advisory bodies. The act requires the government to set legally binding emissions. Nov 26, 2008 all bill documents summary of the climate change hl act 2008. Annual targets for greenhouse gas emissions must also be set, after consultation the relevant advisory bodies provisions are included in the act for the creation of a scottish committee on. Cost of the uks climate change act not a lot of people. Climate change legislation is a central concern across government at all levels, and is not solely about the changing climate, but is embedded in public health policies.
Summary of the key provisions of the climate change act. The uk climate change act 2008 marks its 10 th anniversary this month. The climate change act 2008 sets a legal framework for the uk to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The climate change act 2008 starting point climate change first began to impinge on policy making discussions in the late 1980s. It considers the united kingdoms climate change act 2008, including by. At the heart of the act is a legally binding target to reduce the uks. At the end of november 2008, the uk parliament passed the worlds first climate change act cca, which has come to play a central role in the uks image as a leader on climate change schreurs and tiberghien 2010. The adoption of the act is seen as a landmark commitment to action on climate change, but its implementation has not been studied in any depth.
The rio earth summit in 1992 paved the way for the discussions that led to the agreement of the kyoto protocol in 1997 which committed ratifying developed countries to binding reductions in greenhouse gas. Climate change act 2008, section 2 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 05 may 2020. This is otherwise known as a net zero target because some emissions can. The act provided for greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets that would be legally binding on current. This act includes a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 80% from their level in 1990 by 2050 by a series of five yearly carbon budgets and to develop a climate change adaptation. It made the uk the first country in the world to have a statutory framework for adapting to climate change. The uk enacted the climate change act in 2008, becoming the first country to introduce longterm, legally binding national legislation to tackle climate change. The uk climate change act went through parliament 10 years ago and became law in november 2008. Climate change act 2008 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 18 november 2016.
Net zero in the uk pdf, 795 kb on 12 june 2019 the government laid the draft climate change act 2008 2050 target amendment order 2019 to amend the climate change act 2008 by introducing a target for at least a 100% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels in the uk by 2050. That was agreed by mps under the climate change act in 2008, but will now be amended to. In 2008, the cca unilaterally committed the uk to ensuring. The climate change act 2008 c 27 is an act of the parliament of the united kingdom. This paper evaluates the united kingdom s climate change act of 2008 in terms of the implied rates of decarbonization of the uk economy for a. The climate change act 2008 is the basis for the uks approach to tackling and responding to climate change. Jun 12, 2019 the uk already has a 2050 target to reduce emissions by 80%. Uk climate change act isnt working and must be revived. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with.
The act makes it the duty of the secretary of state to ensure that the net uk carbon account for all six kyoto greenhouse gases for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline, toward avoiding dangerous climate change. Climate change act cca the climate change act 2008 was introduced to ensure the uk cuts its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. This is the first scottish climate change adaptation programme as required by section 53 of the climate change scotland act 2009. It requires the government to set binding, fiveyearly carbon budgets based on the latest science, and in light of economic circumstances. The uks climate change act, adopted in 2008, is one of the first comprehensive climate change. The fact that the uk is the only country to have set a carbon dioxide reduction.
Climate change act 2008 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 21 february 2020. The policy paper can be downloaded from the euki web. The act includes an emissions target, set for the year 2050, for a reduction of at least 80% from the baseline year, 1990. By evaluating these arguments in one significant recent example of radical institutional innovation, the uk climate change act 2008, this article shows that by examining discursive interventions, in addition to more structural determinants, significant new insight can be generated into the conditions under which change can occur. Climate and energy governance for the uk low carbon. Jul 07, 2010 a summary of the uk climate change act that became law on 26 november 2008. The act makes it the duty of the secretary of state to ensure that the net uk carbon account for all six kyoto greenhouse gases for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990. The climate change act briefing note 9 september 20 samuela bassi, bob ward and dimitri zenghelis the climate change act received royal assent on 26 november 2008 and set an overarching target to reduce uk greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. Bres breeam has been driving co 2 emissions reduction since 1990. Climate change act 2008, section 1 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 24 february 2020. Under the climate change act 2008 the 2008 act, the government must set fiveyearly carbon budgets, twelve years in advance, from 2008 to 2050. These are summarised here, with a focus on the legal provisions in the act and how they have been implemented. All bill documents summary of the climate change hl act 2008. Find out about uk progress in reducing emissions to date.
It addresses the impacts identified for scotland in the uk climate change risk assessment ccra published under section 56 of the uk climate change act 2008. It sets in place a legally binding framework allowing the government to introduce measures which will achieve carbon reduction and mitigate. Bre celebrates 10 years of the climate change act bre group. An act to set a target for the year 2050 for the reduction of targeted greenhouse gas. The climate change act sets legally binding targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the uk by at least 80% by 2050, from 1990 levels when did it come into force. On 28 october 2008, at the bills third reading, 463 of 466 mps list of names here voted to pass the uk climate change act without really having any idea what they were voting for. The legislation legally binds the uk to ensure its greenhouse gas emissions for the year 2050 are at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline ii. May 08, 2020 the climate change act 2008 under the climate change act 2008 the 2008 act, the government must set fiveyearly carbon budgets, twelve years in advance, from 2008 to 2050. The government must also put in place a national adaptation programme to address climate change risks.
The act makes it the duty of the secretary of state to ensure that the net. This report summarises lessons from the act, for the uk. The government is required to considerbut not followthe advice of the committee on climate change ccc, also created under the 2008 act when setting these budgets. The climate change bill was introduced into parliament on 14. Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. A summary of the uk climate change act that became law on 26 november 2008. The climate change act 2008 is the basis for the uk s approach to tackling and responding to climate change. That was agreed by mps under the climate change act in 2008, but will now be amended to the new, much tougher, goal. The climate change act 2008 was introduced to ensure the uk cuts its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Meeting that goal requires a transformation in land use across the uk. The uk already has a 2050 target to reduce emissions by 80%. The act aims to enable the united kingdom to become a lowcarbon economy and. Scottish climate change adaptation programme sccap gov.
The climate change act was passed in the uk in november 2008 with an overwhelming majority across political parties. Since the climate change act 2008 was enacted on 26 november 2008, in the uk there have been a total domestic and nondomestic finalpcrpca of 21,903 breeam assessments. May 24, 2011 implementing the climate change act 2008. It legally commits the uk to ensure its greenhouse gas emissions for the year 2050 are at least 80% lower than the baseline 1990 baseline. The act offers a number of lessons, for the uk and other countries, on how climate change legislation is best structured to be effective. The climate change act was enacted in 2008, setting a target for england to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to levels that are 34% lower than 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% lower than 1990 levels by 2050. The act enables the uk to become a low carbon economy. Dec 16, 2019 on 12 june 2019 the government laid the draft climate change act 2008 2050 target amendment order 2019 to amend the climate change act 2008 by introducing a target for at least a 100% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels in the uk by 2050. The uk has legislated for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The climate change act plays an important part in the uk, and can continue to act as a beacon to inform other countries national approaches within the paris agreement framework. No doubt the promoters of the climate change act 2008 are feeling pretty pleased. This book provides the first accessible and indepth analysis of the uks complex climate change act framework, presenting the.
One reason the act was so ambitious was the high level of crossparty support it received. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be. The uk climate change act became law in november 2008 and is one of the earliest comprehensive framework laws on climate change globally. The climate change act 2008 gained royal assent on 26 november 2008. Radical institutional change in environmental governance. This is the conclusion of a new clientearth report calling for the cca to be revived. The governments proposal for setting the fourth carbon budget. It represents the first global legally binding climate change mitigation target set by a country. It sets out scottish ministers objectives in relation. Clientearths new report calls on the uk government to reinvigorate the climate change act mind the gap.
Summary of the key provisions of the climate change act 2008 the uk has passed legislation which introduces the worlds first long term legally binding framework to tackle the dangers of climate change. In this paper i have aimed to provide a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the forces working for and against the political sustainability of the uks 2008 climate change act. The climate change act 2008 the institute for government. It requires that emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are reduced and that climate change risks are prepared for. The climate change bill contains provisions that will set a legally binding target for reducing uk carbon dioxide emission by at least 26 per cent by 2020 and at least 80 per cent by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. It sets out emission reduction targets that the uk must comply with legally. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
The climate change scotland act 2009 is an act of the scottish parliament. The uks pioneering climate change act cca isnt working and robust policies to meet the fourth and fifth carbon budgets must be brought forward urgently. What does brexit mean for the uks climate change act. The act also establishes the framework to deliver on these requirements. Turning climate change legislation into public health policy. The impact of a soft and a hard brexit for the main features of. The uk climate change act was the first case of a country implementing blanket legally binding longterm emissions reduction targets in order to combat climate change. This paper assesses the forces working for and against the political sustainability of the uk 2008 climate change act. Pdf 10 years of the uk climate change act researchgate. Pdf the uk climate change act became law in november 2008 and is one. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date.
The political sustainability of the 2008 climate change act. When the climate change act was passed, it was rightly promoted as a worldleading piece of legislation. Examining the uk climate change act 2008 productivity. The dti paper can be downloaded via this link guardian. The origins of the 2008 uk climate change act energy matters. Globally, since the inception of breeam in 1990, 2. Explaining the origins of the uk climate change act 2008 through discursive and streams perspectives. Nov 26, 20 when the climate change act was passed, it was rightly promoted as a worldleading piece of legislation.
984 675 534 875 1219 874 780 1551 1301 1313 1103 76 991 552 841 617 345 871 322 704 1326 312 1176 267 1547 75 1362 1229 885 899 921 810 1262 273 89 1281 309 59 815 15 364 1398 573 699 1478 653