Climate Change Bill doesn't go far enough

9.00.00am GMT Mon 3rd Dec 2007

The environment secretary Hilary Benn has published the government's Climate Change Bill, introducing legally binding targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions for the first time. The Bill sets a target of reducing emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050 and a mid-term target of between 26 and 32 per cent by 2020 with five-year "carbon budgets" from next year. The budgets are set 15 years in the future and are intended to help direct businesses and policy-makers towards a low-carbon economy.

The principle of this Bill is right, but it is too weak in failing to set ambitious targets for 2050 in line with scientific evidence. It fails to give annual benchmarks, and does not include aviation and shipping or other greenhouse gases like methane. Five-year carbon budgets combined with four-year parliaments do not make for ministerial accountability. We need a cross-party debate on whether there can be a consensus to toughen up these proposals. The Secretary of State should also appoint a shadow climate change committee of scientific experts to get to work before the bill becomes law.