UK climate change Bill launched

Updated 20.53 Tue Mar 13 2007

Keywords: blair, brown, Climate change

Britain's environmental battleplan has been set out by Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chancellor Gordon Brown and Environment Secretary David Miliband.

The blueprint for tackling climate change would set legally-binding targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 and 2050.

"The time is therefore right for the introduction of a strong legal framework in the UK for tackling climate change" - David Miliband

It also outlines plans for five-year "carbon budgets" capping CO2 levels, and a new independent body which would report to Parliament on progress with the campaign against climate change.

In a written statement to the Commons, Environment Secretary David Miliband said the Bill provided a "clear, credible and long-term framework" on how a "low carbon economy" could be achieved.

Mr Miliband said the Bill was "the first of its kind in any country", and Britain was "leading by example".

"The debate on climate change has shifted from whether we need to act to how much we need to do by when, and the economic implications of doing so," he said.

"The time is therefore right for the introduction of a strong legal framework in the UK for tackling climate change."

The proposals include granting the Government greater "enabling powers" which would allow it to introduce measures controlling emissions more quickly and easily.

Earlier, Chancellor Gordon Brown said householders could play a key role in reducing carbon emissions through energy-saving measures.

But the Chancellor insisted he would not be "penalising" the holidaymaker, and attacked Tory proposals for taxes on air travel.

He said: "I am not going to penalise the holidaymaker and I am not going to penalise people who have got to travel for all sorts of reasons on domestic flights and I don't think the Conservative proposals are properly costed or thought-out and I think people will be very angry about that."

Mr Brown has already outlined plans to provide additional support for home insulation and an end to wasteful devices such as old-fashioned lightbulbs and standby functions on electrical goods.

Asked about annual targets for carbon emissions, Mr Brown said today: "Just like in the Budget we set for the public finances targets over a number of years, we will set a five-year target for carbon emissions.