Climate Change Action in the UK
Find out what the UK is doing about climate change.
Landmark legislation that sets out the UK's plans to tackle climate change for the next 50 years was published in Parliament on 15 November 2007.
Climate Change Legislation
The Climate Change Bill, the first of its kind in the world, sets out a framework that will put Britain on the path to become a low-carbon economy.
The bill has clear, legally binding targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2020 and further by 2050 against 1990 levels.
Key Features of the Bill
Key points in the Climate Change Bill include:
legally-binding targets to cut CO2 emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050 and 26 to 32 per cent by 2020
a new system of legally binding five-year 'carbon budgets', set at least 15 years ahead, to provide clear direction towards key targets
a new statutory body, the Committee on Climate Change, to provide independent expert advice and guidance to government
a new system of annual open and transparent reporting to Parliament
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
enabling powers to introduce new trading schemes through secondary legislation, similar to the Carbon Reduction Commitment, a new cap and trade scheme for large organisations such as local authorities, supermarkets and other large retailers, and government departments
You can find out more about the Climate Change Bill and what the UK is doing about climate change on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.
The Office of Climate Change (OCC) works across Government to support the development of climate change policy and strategy.