Government's programme includes Climate Change and Road Transport Bills
Thu 16 November 2006
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The 2006 Queen's Speech contains plans to introduce legislation in the form of a Climate Change Bill and a draft Road Transport Bill. The Climate Bill will make the UK Government's goal of a 60% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050 a legally binding target.
The Climate Change Bill, outlined in the Queen's Speech, will also establish a "Carbon Committee" to ensure the target is met but it does not refer to the annual CO2 reductions targets that had been called for by environmental groups and opposition parties. Ministers are reported to have said that they will "consider appropriate interim targets".
The Government may also include proposals in the Climate Change Bill for a scheme in which more large firms will be required to trade in carbon emissions, according to The Guardian (see link below).
The Government is planning to force more large UK businesses - like supermarkets, banks, universities, hotel chains, hospitals and Government departments - to sign up to a carbon trading scheme. The Guardian says the proposals have received a positive response from some of the companies.
The Government's proposals would involve companies and organisations with annual electricity bills of more than £250,000, or with electricity consumption above 3,000 megawatts. About 5,000 such companies and organisations are not already involved in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
The Government also plans to go ahead with plans to introduce trial road-pricing schemes across England, in an effort to cut congestion.
The draft Road Transport Bill will give councils more freedom to bring in their own schemes in busy areas and will look at the scope for a national road toll.
If local trials are successful, a national scheme could be investigated. Report say that drivers could pay over £1.30 a mile to drive on the busiest roads at rush hour.
The Government also announced plans to make £200m available to support innovative local transport schemes.
The Queen's Speech, however, failed to bring forward legislation designed to strengthen the RTFO by providing a gateway to HMRC fuel duty returns; by eliminating the risk, the scheme could be deemed by the EC a State Aid. The RTFO is due to commence in April 2008.
Related Links
Queen's Speech - full text
Road Transport Bill - BBC report link
Climate Change Bill - BBC report link
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