Climate Change Bill campaign
Let's celebrate!
27 November 2008 is a historic date for both WWF and the planet. Just over a year since the UK Climate Change Bill was first introduced to parliament, the Queen gave her Royal Assent to the first piece of legislation anywhere in the world aimed at setting binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s been a year of intense political lobbying and public campaigning by WWF, our campaigners and our partners in Stop Climate Chaos − a coalition of some 60 environmental, development and faith-based organisations. However, at last, we can celebrate success in achieving the Climate Change Act.
WWF would like to thank all of our campaigners and supporters in helping to make the case for a strong, effective Climate Change Act.
How we made a difference
Our campaigning work has helped to strengthen the resulting legislation in a number of crucial ways:
Emissions target: the new law includes the emissions target we called for – a reduction in UK emissions by 2050 of at least 80%. That’s 20% more than the original government plans. What’s more, all greenhouse gases are now included in the target – the initial proposals considered CO2 only. Calls for a 80% target from leading UK environmental scientists, in a statement coordinated by WWF in January 2008, can be seen as a turning point in the campaign. But continued lobbying throughout the year, including the delivery of an 8,300-name WWF petition to Downing Street, also helped keep up the pressure.
Boats and planes: a key achievement was to ensure the government included emissions from international aviation and shipping within the scope of the legislation. When setting the UK’s carbon budgets (legally-binding limits on carbon emissions), the government must now factor in the anticipated emissions from aviation and shipping and set reduction targets for other sectors accordingly. This is a great step forward and means the new Act will now account for all UK emissions.
Budgets, credits and reporting: another important area where the Act has been significantly strengthened is the placing of limits on the number of carbon credits that can be bought. The original Climate Change Bill would have allowed unlimited use of carbon credits to achieve emissions reductions – meaning that the required reductions needn’t have been made in the UK. Responding to continuing pressure from campaigners and opposition parties, the government introduced a limit on the number of carbon credits it can buy. Whilst not perfect − the government will still get to decide what the limit should be and it will not apply to all credits − this amendment is a significant improvement.
By a setting a limit on the use of carbon credits, the government will now come under much greater scrutiny and pressure to ensure that it implements policies that make real reductions in the UK, such as through greater energy efficiency and renewable energy, and create new green jobs.
Finally, the government has also committed itself to introducing mandatory carbon disclosure for companies from 2012. This means UK corporations will have to be more transparent about their emissions. It should improve business behaviour and create an incentive to invest in low-carbon technologies which will also help move us to a low-carbon, cleaner future.
What next for campaigning on climate change?
As with many of these things, the Climate Change Act victory is a case of having won a battle, but not the war. Your support is still needed with the following campaigns to ensure we do all we can to protect species, habitats and people from the worst impacts of climate change.
As a founder member of Stop Climate Chaos, WWF will continue to campaign with partner organisations to call on the government to reject plans to build a new coal-fired power station in Kingsnorth in Kent, and instead encourage investment in energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy. Find out more about our campaign for the UK's energy policy to be brought into line with the need to reduce carbon emissions.
Strong UK climate change legislation should help set the level of ambition and commitment at an international level – in Europe and globally. Together with Climate Action Network Europe, Friends of the Earth Europe and Greenpeace Europe, WWF is campaigning for the EU to show leadership in the development of its ‘Climate and Energy Package’ – proposals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions at a European level. Lend your support by telling EU decision-makers “it’s time to lead”
WWF will soon start its most ambitious campaign ever to deliver a new and ambitious international agreement on climate change. Find out more about why we need a fair global deal to tackle climate change.
