Climate Change and Local, Regional and Devolved Government
Climate Change and Local, Regional and Devolved Government

Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 9780215522122

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This report, entitled "Climate change and local, regional and devolved government", (HCP 225, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780215522122) sets out 22 conclusions and recommendations, including: that Central Government has a duty to co-ordinate how different spheres of government interact and integrate in regard of action on climate change; overcoming barriers to progress on climate change is essential and the Government must look at incentives and encouragements it can offer to local, regional and devolved government; all local authorities should be obliged to include climate change indicators in their Local Area Agreements and further, the investrment and development plans for local authorities should consider the need to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change; that local authorities, regional and devolved governments need to be aware of other targets, including biodiversity and energy efficiency; that the Government needs to consider what part carbon impact assessments will play in local, regional and devolved governments and how they can become a central role in decision and policy making.

Adapting to climate change
Adapting to climate change

Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2010-03-25

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 9780215545220

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Climate projections show that Britain can expect wetter winters, drier summers and a higher likelihood of flash-floods, heat waves and droughts. Yet adaptation to climate change has been given only a fraction of the attention that has gone into reducing greenhouse gases. The Government must build awareness and support for the wide-ranging and urgent programme of action that is needed to protect people, property and prosperity and safeguard the natural environment. Adapting infrastructure and homes will be expensive. To maintain current levels of flood protection for homes, real terms spending on flood defences will need to increase from its current level of around £600 million per annum to around £1 billion in 2035. Estimates in 2009 suggest that by the end of the century around £7 billion may be needed to improve the Thames flood barrier and tidal defences. New homes being built now must be designed to cope with the inevitable changes in climate over the next 50 - 80 years. The Government must make adaptation and mitigation more central to the planning system. New developments should only be permitted if they are suited to future climates. Existing homes will also need to be adapted so that they are comfortable during hotter summers and better protected against the risk of flooding. The Government must help to kick start an integrated retro-fitting programme that covers adaptation, water efficiency and energy efficiency. Green infrastructure - such as water storage, greater tree cover and more open green spaces - must also be promoted.

The Low Carbon Economy
The Low Carbon Economy

Author: Polina Baranova

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-11-11

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 3319567535

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This edited collection explores the challenges and opportunities presented by the transition to a low carbon economy, and outlines the different approaches taken to ensure the sustainability of such a transition. Chapters explore the nature of the transformation from a ‘brown’ to ‘green’ economy, the importance of effective carbon measurement and management methodologies, the use of behaviour economics, and the application of a growth-enabling approach. Offering valuable insights into how various stakeholders respond to the challenges of green growth and focusing in particular on the support of universities, The Low Carbon Economy covers themes of leadership, systems approach, stakeholder management, and collaborative action. This comprehensive study provides readers with constructive ideas for maximising the opportunities of transitioning to a low carbon economy, and will serve as a useful tool for practitioners and academics interested in sustainability.

Addressing the Challenges in Communicating Climate Change Across Various Audiences
Addressing the Challenges in Communicating Climate Change Across Various Audiences

Author: Walter Leal Filho

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-10-02

Total Pages: 667

ISBN-13: 331998294X

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This book offers a concrete contribution towards a better understanding of climate change communication. It ultimately helps to catalyse the sort of cross-sectoral action needed to address the phenomenon of climate change and its many consequences. There is a perceived need to foster a better understanding of what climate change is, and to identify approaches, processes, methods and tools which may help to better communicate it. There is also a need for successful examples showing how communication can take place across society and stakeholders. Addressing the challenges in communicating to various audiences and providing a platform for reflections, it showcases lessons learnt from research, field projects and best practices in various settings in various different countries. The acquired knowledge can be adapted and applied to other situations.

The role of carbon markets in preventing dangerous climate change
The role of carbon markets in preventing dangerous climate change

Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2010-02-08

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9780215543776

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Emissions trading is central to the Government's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. This inquiry examines the prospects for a global carbon market and the implications of this for further development of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). It reviews the impact and future prospects for the EU ETS in meeting the Government's twin objectives of reducing emissions at lowest cost and setting a carbon price that delivers investment in low-carbon technologies. The EU ETS has emissions caps set too high to force emitters to make the often costly investment decisions which would reduce emissions. The recession has only served to loosen what little constraint the cap provided. The carbon price has been too low to encourage the necessary investment in low-carbon processes and infrastructure. The cap mechanism therefore needs to be significantly tightened. This should be supported by cancelling 'new entrant reserve' allowances and auctioning as many allowances as possible, rather than giving them away for free (with the revenues possibly hypothecated to climate change measures). The Government should explore the possible use of a carbon tax. It should also encourage more use of allowance auctions with reserve prices, more use of incentives for low-carbon power generation and emissions performance standards for electricity generation. The emphasis should also be on harmonising the approach internationally, and on extending effective emissions trading systems. The Committee lists 19 conclusions and recommendations.

Wales and Whitehall
Wales and Whitehall

Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2010-03-26

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 9780215545312

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The effective operation of devolution stands the best chance of success if both the UK and Welsh governments share knowledge and understanding, concludes the Welsh Affairs Committee in this report. The Committee makes a number of recommendations to improve the relationship between Wales and Whitehall. A broad review of how intergovernmental relationships are coordinated is required. The Joint Ministerial Committee should meet on a regular basis and ministers at all levels should be alert to the consequences of policy and legislation on devolved areas. The Cabinet Office should take lead responsibility for devolution strategy in Whitehall. Whitehall has lost a focus on the devolution settlement and too often has displayed poor knowledge and understanding of the specificities of the Welsh settlement. The Civil Service needs more consistent training and clear department-by-department focus on retaining devolution knowledge and understanding. The Welsh Assembly Government should have the confidence to interact with Whitehall and to promote areas of good practice. The Cabinet Secretary and the Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government should give evidence annually to the Welsh Affairs Committee. Finally, reform of the Barnett Formula is required. The current financial settlement does not appear sustainable and a new arrangement needs to be built on an agreed and enduring basis which is demonstrably fair and sensitive to the particular circumstances of Wales.

Vehicle Excise Duty as Environmental Tax
Vehicle Excise Duty as Environmental Tax

Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environmental Audit Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 74

ISBN-13: 9780215523419

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This year's budget made some significant changes to annual road tax (vehicle excise duty or VED). The main changes included: introduction of six new VED bands from 2009-10, bringing the total number of bans to 13; applying this new regime of 13 bands to exisiting cars on the road first registered on or after 1 March 2001; and introduction of a new rate of VED for new cars in the first year in which they are bought. The Environmental Audit Committee's aims in this report were to examine the projected enivronmental impacts of these changes, to review how fair these changes are, and to make recommendations to the Treasury as to how it should proceed. The Committee felt that there was nothing intrinsically wrong in the rebanding of cars registered since 2001 but that there was a lack of data about the financial impacts of these change on lower-income groups. The new-first year rates were welcomed. However concerns remain that the differentials between VED bands are still not large enough to drive market transformation. The Treasury should have taken much greater care to explain the changes in VED in the Budget. If the point of green taxes is to change behaviour, they need to be properly publicised. In general, the Treasury needs to develop a proper communications strategy

Greener Homes for the Future?
Greener Homes for the Future?

Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environmental Audit Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 9780215524317

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This report examines three overarching issues: the impact of the growth of house-building targets; what sort of homes should be built; and where these homes should be built. The Committee on Climate Change should assess the impact of the Government's new house-building targets for three million new homes by 2020 on the UK's 2020 carbon reduction target. In light of the latest economic projections, fundamental changes in the mortgage market, and falling house prices, the Government should review the assumptions on which its target is based. And the target for 2 million new homes to be built before the zero carbon target comes into effect in 2016, with a further 1 million to be built afterwards, should change to increase significantly the proportion built afterwards. Zero carbon homes must source their heat and power from renewable sources. Ideally these will come from on-site renewable power generation; where this is impractical, off-site renewables should be built or funded. The Government should ensure that an excess of land is not made available to developers, something which is already leading to greenfield sites being developed in preference to brownfield sites. The Government should urgently reintroduce a clear sequential test in favour of brownfield development into planning policy. Greater emphasis ought to be placed on energy efficiency and sustainability within the building control regime that inspects new housing. The Government should consider introducing higher penalties for developers who fail to meet energy efficiency standards. The same environmental tests used for eco-towns should be applied to all major housing developments from 2016. The Government should re-examine eco-town proposals, to ensure they have good public transport links, and are located close to commercial centres and employment opportunities.

Environmental Labelling
Environmental Labelling

Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environmental Audit Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 9780215529220

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In this report (HC 243, session 2008-09, ISBN 9780215529220) the Environmental Audit Committee calls for a sector-based universal labelling scheme comparable to those emerging for food products. The Committee says the Government should be prepared to legislate for such a scheme if necessary. The Committee found greenwash - the use of insubstantial or meaningless claims to promote a product - to be a growing problem and that the Government has a role in policing ’green' labels. Commenting on the report, Colin Challen MP, Chairman of the Environmental Information Sub-Committee, said: "The Government has to act to deal with the problem of greenwash. Clear labels are needed to help consumers make informed choices but for consumers to have confidence in them, environmental labels must be backed up by independent monitoring that is fully verified." Further, that "The proliferation of labels means we urgently need a universal scheme to help consumers discriminate between products on the basis of environmental factors. A robust labelling regime would also change the way many businesses behave and help drive up environmental standards across whole sectors of the economy." The Committee calls for more resources to be put into environmental labelling, including efforts to raise public awareness. It also wants more information to be made available on the standards and processes that underpin any label, with the Government setting clear standards and guidelines on the content and presentation of such information. In addition, the Committee emphasises that the Government should encourage carbon labelling on all products as part of a universal sector-based environmental labelling scheme.

Halting Biodiversity Loss
Halting Biodiversity Loss

Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environmental Audit Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9780215524843

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This is the thirteenth report from the Environmental Audit Committee of the 2007-08 session (HCP 743, ISBN 9780215524843). The Committee states, that the Government will fail to meet the 2010 traget to halt biodiversity loss, although the target might have been unrealistic. The Committee does see some progress, with 80% of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSIs) in a favourable condition, with a number of rare species having recovered. In general though, biodiversity loss continues in the wider countryside with many species and habitats facing severe declines and local extinctions. The Committee does believe though that with leadership and effective policies, biodiversity loss could in fact be reversed, and states the Government should adopt a new target to halt the loss. Biodiversity policies need to be cross-departmental, and the Government's ecosystem assessment is a way forward, by encouraging such an approach and promoting biodiversity protection at the regional and local scales. The Committee further states that the Government could make a large contribution in preventing biodiversity loss through more support for the UK Overseas Territories.