THE Government has this week been urged to take account of recommendations regarding the Climate Change Bill, by West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox. Mr Cox is a member of the cross-party Environment Select Committee which recently published its review bill. The committee held evidence sessions from a wide range of scientists, lobby groups, and members of the public. The committee?s report, which Mr Cox co-authorised, supports the principal purpose of the draft Climate Change Bill, which aims to cut carbon emissions to 60% below 1990 levels by 2050. However, it raises some serious omissions and suggests measures to improve and strengthen the bill in order to achieve its goal. In particular, the committee suggested the Government, and the new committee on Climate Change, which it said should have a clearer independent mandate, should review the 60% target and assess whether it should be higher. The MP raised concerns about relying solely on mid and long term reduction targets, and called for annual milestones to be published, along with detailed breakdowns of carbon emissions by different sectors of the economy. The committee also pressed for greater scrutiny of the emissions reduction by Parliament. Mr Cox said: ?I believe that climate change is one of the greatest problems facing us today and requires urgent action, and I am delighted that the Government has finally committed itself to a climate change bill. ?However, this report makes fundamental criticisms of the Bill that the Government must heed. ?We heard evidence from many people whose expertise is unparalleled and the unmistakeable message of much of it is that this bill does not fulfil the urgent need for a clear, legally binding, framework that will reduce carbon emissions.?
