Fifth Carbon Budget (UK)

A carbon budget places a restriction on the total amount of greenhouse gases the UK can emit over a five-year period. The UK is the first country to set legally binding carbon budgets.

Today, the UK Government agreed with its independent Committee on Climate Change and proposes that the fifth budgetary period covering 2028 to 2032 should be set at 1.725m metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). In 2015, the UK emitted 497 MtCO2e. The decarbonisation target is set at 57% emissions reduction by 2030 (on 1990 levels). The EU decarbonisation target is 40% reduction by 2030 (on 1990 levels). 

The 2008 Climate Change Act commits the UK to decarbonise by 80% by 2050. The carbon budgets and targets are designed to ensure the UK meets this commitment.

Orders and associated documents will be published shortly. When they are, this Blog will be updated to carry the links.

Subscribers to Cardinal Tailored EHS Legislation Registers should email if they need the 5th Carbon Budget order added to their system. Systems already carrying the 2008 Climate Change Act and associated Orders, will have the 2016 Order added automatically.

Referendum Outcome (UK)

The vote of Thursday 23 June 2016 is for the UK to leave the European Union. Legal and constitutional steps are required for the vote to be implemented; none are yet taken.

Actions to-date by the UK government are as follows:
(1) a Civil Service EU Unit is being set up, based in the Cabinet Office, with remit to prepare materials for the new Prime Minister when he/she takes office (expected 9th September).
(2) the Treasury and Foreign Affairs Select Committees have resumed their taking of expert witness testimony.
(3) the Science and Technology Select Committee has commenced it’s taking of expert witness testimony.
(4) the Secretary of State for Business has initiated a Round Table of Business, with representatives from the CBI, FSB, Institute of Directors etc, the first meeting was held Tuesday 28th June.

Actions to date by the Scottish Government are as follows:
(1) an EU expert committee is being formed (the Standing Council on Europe).
(2) the European and External Affairs Committee has commenced it’s taking of expert witness testimony.

This Blog will notify of the legal and constitutional steps (as they are or will be taken). This will be in addition to the usual posts in different environment and health and safety categories. A new Blog category “Referendum Outcome (UK)” is created. Please refer to this, in the archive, for this and further posts.

Please refer to the Cardinal Environment Facebook page, found via the company’s public website, for links to UK Select Committees and the Committees of Regional Governments. Salient and key findings of Committees will be notified via this Blog (under the category Referendum Outcome (UK)).

The UK government continues to make and pass laws, and until the situation changes, these will continue to implement EU law and the highest court will continue to be the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

Subscribers to Cardinal Tailored EHS Legislation Registers will see no difference in the layout of their Registers, initially. Environment and Health and Safety law changes will be advised by Email Alert in the normal manner.

Since it is expected that at least most of environment and health and safety legislation already enacted will not be repealed, Email Alerts will be sufficient to notify of changes.

Going forward, competences will return to the UK, and the structure of the Registers will be adjusted to reflect this. I will advise by Email Alert of these changes, when they occur.

It is strongly recommended that subscribers take the opportunity afforded by annual renewal, to hold an Annual Review with me, when we can discuss this. Cardinal Law Checklists are also relevant, and I will also demonstrate these in the Annual Review.