In the Spring Budget 2020, the UK Government announced that the current Climate Change Agreements (CCA) scheme would be reopened to new entrants for a set period and extended for a further two years until March 2025.
In April 2020, the UK government consulted on its proposals for how this extension would be implemented and sought views on potential reforms were there to be a future CCA scheme beyond March 2025.
The Environment Agency is expected to certify eligible new entrant facilities from January 2021. The deadline for applications is extended to 30 November 2020.
The baseline period is to be updated. Where discrete data for 2018 is not currently available, appropriately adjusted Target Period 3 (covering 2017 and 2018) data may be used instead to estimate a 2018 baseline.
The deadline for sector organisations to submit counter proposals for agreeing sectoral targets will be extended to 30 October 2020.
The Buy-out Price will increase to £18/tCO2e for Target Period 5 (1st Jan 2021 to 31 Dec 2022). The Target Period 4 (1 Jan 2019 to 32 Dec 2020) buy-out remains at £14/tCOe.
The financial penalty price for penalties related to Target Period 5 will increase in line with the buy-out cost per tCO2e for the appropriate target period; the financial penalty will increase to be the greater of £250 or £18/tCO2e.
A short window to make some specific amendments to agreements will be opened in 2021, with separate guidance to follow on this.
The Government will look to confirm a timeline for further engagement on the future of the CCA scheme shortly.
Further information on the CCA extension to March 2025 (and the views received on the future of the CCA scheme) is found here.
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