DEFRA Draft Climate Change Bill

The CLA's response highlights the need for sectoral targets, e.g. on energy efficiency, percentage of electricity from renewable energy, and amount of combined heat and power used by 2010.  We also call for the integration of climate change policies, so that perverse impacts are not created - this is based on the fact that since the publication of the Stern report there have been over 10 announcements by different government departments, including Defra and DCLG, on climate-related initiatives which raises serious concerns about the strategic coherence of the entire programme.  We also urge the government to include a land management expert on the proposed Climate Change Committee which will advise on sectoral targets, and to ensure that this Committee has a stakeholder forum.  Land management has much to offer for the removal of atmospheric CO2 and the reduction of CO2 emissions, which can assist  towards reaching the target reductions required, if the policy framework is right.  In addition, we strongly advocate that carbon sequestration by net new afforestation within the UK since 1990 should be encouraged in line with Article 3.3 of Kyoto.

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