Climate Change Act 2008

Determination whether objectives metU.K.

16Annual statement of UK emissionsU.K.

(1)It is the duty of the Secretary of State to lay before Parliament in respect of each year, beginning with the year 2008, a statement containing the following information.

(2)In respect of each greenhouse gas (whether or not a targeted greenhouse gas), it must—

(a)state the amount for the year of UK emissions, UK removals and net UK emissions of that gas,

(b)identify the methods used to measure or calculate those amounts, and

(c)state whether any of those amounts represents an increase or decrease compared to the equivalent amount for the previous year.

(3)It must state the aggregate amount for the year of UK emissions, UK removals and net UK emissions of all greenhouse gases.

(4)If in accordance with international carbon reporting practice a change of method is such as to require adjustment of an amount for an earlier year in the same budgetary period, it must specify the adjustment required and state the adjusted amount.

(5)If emissions of a greenhouse gas from international aviation or international shipping are not required to be included in the statement by virtue of subsection (2), it must state any amounts relating to such emissions that the United Kingdom is required to report for the year in accordance with international carbon reporting practice.

(6)It must—

(a)state the total amount of carbon units that have been credited to or debited from the net UK carbon account for the year, and

(b)give details of the number and type of those carbon units.

(7)It must state the amount of the net UK carbon account for the year.

(8)It must state—

(a)the amount of net UK emissions of carbon dioxide for the year 1990,

(b)the amount of net UK emissions of each targeted greenhouse gas other than carbon dioxide for the year that is the base year for that gas, and

(c)a baseline amount for each greenhouse gas that is not a targeted greenhouse gas, determined on such basis as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(9)The amount referred to in subsection (8)(c) may be—

(a)the amount of net UK emissions of the gas for the year 1990 or a different year, or

(b)the average amount of net UK emissions of the gas for a number of years.

(10)The statement required by this section must be laid before Parliament not later than 31st March in the second year following that to which it relates.

(11)The Secretary of State must send a copy of the statement to the other national authorities.

17Powers to carry amounts from one budgetary period to anotherU.K.

(1)The Secretary of State may decide to carry back part of the carbon budget for a budgetary period to the preceding budgetary period.

The carbon budget for the later period is reduced, and that for the earlier period increased, by the amount carried back.

(2)The amount carried back under subsection (1) must not exceed 1% of the carbon budget for the later period.

(3)The Secretary of State may decide to carry forward the whole or part of any amount by which the carbon budget for a budgetary period exceeds the net UK carbon account for the period.

The amount of the carbon budget for the next budgetary period is increased by the amount carried forward.

(4)Before deciding to carry an amount back or forward under this section, the Secretary of State must—

(a)consult the other national authorities, and

(b)obtain, and take into account, the advice of the Committee on Climate Change.

(5)Any such decision must be made no later than 31st May in the second year after the end of the earlier of the two budgetary periods affected.

18Final statement for budgetary periodU.K.

(1)It is the duty of the Secretary of State to lay before Parliament in respect of each budgetary period a statement containing the following information.

(2)In respect of each targeted greenhouse gas, it must state the final amount for the period of UK emissions, UK removals and net UK emissions of that gas.

That is the total of the amounts (or adjusted amounts) stated under section 16 (annual statement of UK emissions) in respect of that gas for the years included in the period.

(3)It must—

(a)state the final amount of carbon units that have been credited to or debited from the net UK carbon account for the period, and

(b)give details of the number and type of those carbon units.

(4)It must state the final amount of the net UK carbon account for the period.

(5)It must state whether the Secretary of State has decided to carry an amount back under section 17(1) (power to carry amount back from the budget for the next budgetary period), and if so what amount.

(6)It must state the amount of the carbon budget for the period.

That is the amount originally set, subject to any exercise of the powers conferred by section 17 (powers to carry amounts from one budgetary period to another) and any alteration of the budget under section 21.

(7)Whether the carbon budget for a period has been met shall be determined by reference to the figures given in the statement laid before Parliament under this section in respect of that period.

(8)If the carbon budget for the period has not been met, the statement must explain why it has not been met.

(9)The statement required by this section must be laid before Parliament not later than 31st May in the second year following the end of the period to which it relates.

(10)The Secretary of State must send a copy of the statement to the other national authorities.

19Duty to report on proposals and policies for compensating for budget excessU.K.

(1)As soon as is reasonably practicable after laying a statement before Parliament under section 18 in respect of a period for which the net UK carbon account exceeds the carbon budget, the Secretary of State must lay before Parliament a report setting out proposals and policies to compensate in future periods for the excess emissions.

(2)So far as the report relates to proposals and policies of the Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers or a Northern Ireland department, it must be prepared in consultation with that authority.

(3)The Secretary of State must send a copy of the report to those authorities.

20Final statement for 2050U.K.

(1)It is the duty of the Secretary of State to lay before Parliament in respect of the year 2050 a statement containing the following information.

(2)In respect of each targeted greenhouse gas, it must state the amount for that year of UK emissions, UK removals and net UK emissions of that gas.

That is the amount stated for that year in respect of that gas under section 16 (annual statement of UK emissions).

(3)It must—

(a)state the amount of carbon units that have been credited to or debited from the net UK carbon account for the year, and

(b)give details of the number and type of those carbon units.

(4)It must state the amount of the net UK carbon account for that year.

(5)Whether the target in section 1 (the target for 2050) has been met shall be determined by reference to the figures given in the statement laid before Parliament under this section.

(6)If the target has not been met, the statement must explain why it has not been met.

(7)The statement required by this section must be laid before Parliament not later than 31st May 2052.

(8)The Secretary of State must send a copy of the statement to the other national authorities.