Committee On Climate Change - Reports and Key Recommendations

Reports and Key Recommendations

Carbon Budget Reports

• "Building a low-carbon economy - the UK's contribution to tackling climate change - 1st December 2008"

Key Recommendations: 1. The UK should reduce emissions of all Greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050 2. The first three carbon budgets (2008-2012, 2013-2017 and 2018-2022) should lead to emission reductions of 34% by 2020 3. The budgets should cover all sectors of the economy and can be achieved at a cost of 1-2% of GDP in 2050

• The Fourth Carbon Budget - Reducing emissions through the 2020s - 7 December 2010

Key Recommendations: 1. Review of the latest climate science reveals that the case for action is robust 2. The fourth carbon budget should limit emissions to 1,950 MTCO2e for period 2023-2027, leading to a 60% emissions cut by 2030 3. Electricity Market Reform is urgently required, alongside appropriate policies in buildings, agriculture, transport and industry sectors

Progress Reports

• "Meeting Carbon Budgets - the need for a step change" - 12 October 2009"

Key Recommendations: 1. A step change is required in the rate of emission reductions, moving from annual cuts of 0.5% to 2-3% each year 2. Rapid decarbonisation of the power sector is a priority, alongside energy efficiency improvements and reductions in road transport emissions 3. Achieving the carbon budgets is possible at low cost

• "Meeting carbon budgets - ensuring a low-carbon recovery - 30 June 2010"

Key Recommendations: 1. A step change is still required 2. GHG have reduced in 2009 but this is largely due to the recession and is not as the result of underlying progress 3. New policies are required in 4 areas: electricity market reform, energy efficiency, electric cars and agriculture

Other Advisory Reports

• "UK Aviation Report - 8 December 2009"

Key Recommendations: 1. Any future airport expansion should stay within a limit of increasing passenger demand by 60% by 2050 2. There is scope to reduce emissions through improving fuel efficiency and aircraft design and through operational improvements 3. Aviation emissions must be included within a UK strategy to tackle climate change

• "Scotland's path to a low-carbon economy - 24 February 2010"

Key Recommendations: 1. Scotland's interim target to reduce emissions by 42% by 2020 is ambitious, but achievable 2. Flexibility should be added to system of using annual targets to reduce risk 3. Scottish government should set out a strategy to deliver budgets through strengthening key policies

• "Building a low-carbon economy - the UK's innovation challenge - 19 July 2010"

Key Recommendations: 1. Funding for a suite of low-carbon technologies required to meet 2050 target should be protected 2. Any reduction in current funding levels (£550m per year) would increase the risk of missing carbon budgets 3. UK should focus on developing and deploying offshore wind, marine (wave and tidal), Carbon capture and storage, smart grids and meters, electric vehicles and aviation.

• "How well prepared is the UK for climate change? - 16 September 2010"

Key Recommendations: 1. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in the UK 2. The UK should act now to start to prepare itself for a warmer climate 3. 5 Key priority areas for action are: buildings, land-use planning, emergency planning, infrastructure and natural resources

• "The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme - advice to Government on the second phase - 24 September 2010"

Key Recommendations: 1. The scheme should be redesigned to reduce its complexity before the start of the 2nd phase 2. Separate league tables should be established for the private and public sectors 3. The sale of an unlimited number of allowances at a fixed price should be used, rather than a complex auctioning system

In 2011, it planned to publish a Renewable Energy Review (May 2011), a 3rd Progress Report to Parliament (June 2011), 2nd report on Adaptation (July 2011) and a Review of Bioenergy (November 2011).