New Bill And Strategy Lay Foundations For Tackling Climate Change - Miliband

The Government’s blueprint for tackling climate change was today set out by Environment Secretary David Miliband.

The draft Climate Change Bill, the first of its kind in any country, and accompanying strategy, set out a framework for moving the UK to a low-carbon economy, demonstrating the UK’s leadership as progress continues establishing a post-2012 global emissions agreement.

Key points of the draft bill published today, include:

•A series of clear targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions - including making the UK’s target for a 60 per cent reduction by 2050 and a 26 to 32 per cent reduction by 2020 legally binding.

•A new system of legally binding five year “carbon budgets”, set at least 15 years ahead, to provide clarity on the UK’s pathway towards its key targets and increase the certainty that businesses and individuals need to invest in low-carbon technologies.

•A new statutory body, the Committee on Climate Change, to provide independent expert advice and guidance to Government on achieving its targets and staying within its carbon budgets.

•New powers to enable the Government to more easily implement policies to cut emissions.

•A new system of annual open and transparent reporting to Parliament. The Committee on Climate Change will provide an independent progress report to which the Government must respond. This will ensure the Government is held to account every year on its progress towards each 5-year carbon budget and the 2020 and 2050 targets.

•A requirement for Government to report at least every five years on current and predicted impacts of climate change and on its proposals and policy for adapting to climate change.

The draft bill will be subject to a full public consultation alongside pre-legislative scrutiny in Parliament.

David Miliband said:

“With climate change we can’t just close our eyes and cross our fingers. We need to step up our action to tackle it, building on our considerable progress so far. And time isn’t on our side.

“This bill is a critical part of the equation. It will help us achieve the twin goals I set out in the strategy I am also publishing today - demonstrating leadership through action at home, while also continuing to work towards a strong international agreement post 2012.

“Crucially the Climate Change Bill, the first of its kind in any country, demonstrates our determination that this leadership role will continue.

“Government must rightly lead from the front on this, but we want everyone - the public, industry, Parliament - to have their say to help us ensure that the Bill really delivers.”

The strategy paper sets out how the Climate Change Bill fits into the Government’s wider international strategy and a range of future domestic policies to achieve its aims.

It argues that all sectors of society will have to contribute to the transition to a low-carbon economy, but that this does not mean a reduction in standards of living.

It sets out a vision for how the UK can move to a low carbon economy including:

•Investment in low-carbon fuels and technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, wind, wave and solar power.

•Significantly more energy efficient use of energy.

•A step change in the way energy suppliers operate so that they focus on reducing demand rather than just supplying as much energy as possible.

•Consumers becoming producers as well as consumers of energy.

英政府将出台气候变化应对法案和战略文献

英国环境部长戴维•米利班德（David Miliband）日前宣布英国政府已经制定出气候变化 应对蓝本。

英国制定出了气候变化法案草案及其相关的战略文献，这在其他任何国家实属首例。该法案为英国政府推动低碳经济，评估政府政策是否能促成全球达成的2012年后温室气体减排协议目标的实现，提供了一个框架。

草案要点如下：

•明确地提出了一系列温室气体减排目标，包括：到2050年，实现温室气体的排量降低60％；承诺到2020年，削减26％～32％的温室气体排放；

•鉴于“碳收支”五年计划新体系，法案制定了未来十五年的计划，为英国促成碳减排这一重要目标的实现，确保企业和个人向低碳科技领域投资，提供了一个明确的框架；

•成立一个气候变化委员会法定机构，为完成减排目标、将碳收支维持在一个合理水平，提供独立的专业指导和建议；

•新草案的出台将会使政府政策的贯彻实施更为有效，从而最终达到减排目标；

•建立新的体制，即相关的评估机构每年都要向议会提交一份公开透明的报告；

•气候变化委员会将向政府提供一份独立的工作进展报告，并且政府必须对此作出回应，从而确保政府能够随时了解每一个“五年碳收支计划”以及2020年碳减排目标和2050年碳减排目标的工作进程；

•请求政府至少每五年就气候变化问题所带来的当前和未来的影响进行一次工作汇报，并提出应对气候变化的建议及策略。

草案将进行广泛地民众审议，并将接受议会特别委员会的立法前审查。

戴维•米利班德说：

“面对气候变化的严峻挑战，我们绝不能心存侥幸，坐壁上观。我们应该积极行动起来，及时制定切实可行的应对措施。遏制气候变化势在必行！气候变化法案的出台很及时，它将帮助我们达成我在战略文献中所提到的两项目标，在此我还要再次赘述：通过行动评估本国政府政策的有效性；致力于实现全球范围内达成的 2012年后温室气体的减排目标。最为关键的一点是，气候变化法案是英国率先制定的，这显示出英国政府治理气候变化的决心，而且也奠定了我们在这方面的领导地位。在此问题上，政府必须起到正确地引导作用，但是我们希望每个人――每个公民、每个行业以及国会重视这个问题，帮助我们，确保法案能够真正有效地实施。”

战略文件阐述了气候变化法案为什么符合政府的国际策略，以及为实现这一目标而制定的一系列国家法规。

战略文件指出，社会各部门必须要从原有的经济形态过渡到低碳经济，但这并不意味着要降低我们的生活水平。

文件描绘了关于英国如何过渡到低碳经济社会的前景，内容如下：
•加大对低碳能源与技术的投资力度，如碳捕获和存储、风能、潮汐能以及太阳能；

•极大地提高能源的有效利用率；

•改变能源供应商的运转模式，使他们能够注意到降低需求的必要性，而不是纯粹受利益的驱使，为消费者无止境地提供能源；

•消费者在消耗能源的同时，也将成为能源的生产者。