Committee report on Draft Climate Change Bill

The Joint Committee on the Draft Climate Change Bill have published their report on the Draft Bill today. Key findings include the following:

• The 2050 target for carbon reductions does not reflect the latest science on climate change and is undermined by the exclusion of aviation and shipping
• The upper limit for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 should be removed
• Mechanisms to enforce the bill need to be strengthened and the legal responsibility should fall on the Prime Minister instead of the Secretary of State for Environment
• Close monitoring and reporting of other GHGs
• The Bill needs to be strengthened on adaptation to include a duty on the secretary of state to report on the risks and proposals to address those risks
• The Government needs to consider how best improve public understanding and action on climate change and role of local government in addressing climate change