MoreThanWaste.com - Incentives to recycle in strengthened Climate Change Bill (30/10/2007)

"The draft bill we set out earlier this year, and have now refined, is a ground breaking blueprint for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy"

Hilary Benn, Environment Secretary

London, UK: Incentives to recycle, commonly referred to as “pay as you throw”, have re-appeared in a Government Command Paper. The Command Paper is the UK Government's response to the parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation on the Draft Climate Change Bill.

There had been speculation last week that incentives to recycle had been dropped following published responses to a further consultation on incentives to recycle (see MoreThanWaste article).

The details of what is described as a "strengthened, more effective and more transparent Bill to help tackle climate change" were set out yesterday by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.

The Government says that the Climate Change Bill will provide an overall framework for tackling climate change, in tandem with the proposals in the Energy White Paper, and the forthcoming Energy and Planning Bills. It will be part of a package of action to progress the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy.

The intention is to use the Climate Change Bill to implement the Carbon Reduction Commitment – a mandatory cap-and-trade scheme covering energy use emissions from large, non-energy-intensive organisations - and improve the operation of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).

Kitchen waste produces methane under landfill anaerobic conditions

Importantly from a waste management viewpoint, the Government also intends to provide a power to pilot local authority incentives for household waste minimisation and recycling and will announce proposals at a later date.

According to the Government, these policies could save the equivalent of up to 9.4-13.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2020.

Landfill is thought to be responsible for 3% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions and this, at least in part, is one reason that the power to pilot waste minimisation and recycling incentives for household waste is likely to be introduced.

This power will be taken forward through the Climate Change Bill and, if operated more widely, the Government considers that it could save up to 2 to 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020. In essence these savings relate to the reductions in methane emissions escaping from landfill over the lifetime of a landfill site, though there is expected to be lower landfilling in 2020 resulting from the UK obligation to meet the landfill reduction targets of the EC Landfill Directive. The calculation of emissions saved through waste minimisation and recycling is a difficult one and contains a number of variables.

The Climate Change Bill is primarily intended to be framework legislation. It will be supported by policy provisions in the Energy Bill (which applies to the UK) and Planning Bill (which applies to England only), which are being brought forward on a similar timetable. The UK Government also intends to use this Bill to underpin specific measures which will support emissions reductions.

Together, these measures could save the equivalent of up to 9.4-13.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2020.

Comments

Mr Benn said:

"We need to step up the fight against climate change and we need to do it fast.

"The draft bill we set out earlier this year, and have now refined, is a ground breaking blueprint for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy. It will bind us to legally enforceable emissions reduction targets at home, while giving us greater clout at the international negotiating table.

"I am extremely grateful for the invaluable input from the three Parliamentary committees, and from industry and the wider public that has brought us to this point. Thanks to their efforts we will now have a Bill that is stronger, more effective and more transparent.

Commenting on the amendments to the draft Climate Change Bill, Michael Roberts, CBI Director of Business Environment, said:

"Business urgently needs a credible framework to work towards a low carbon economy, and we believe the Climate Change Bill can provide that.

"A stronger Climate Change Committee, and asking the Committee to review the case for increasing the 2050 target and including international aviation emissions within the targets, are all sensible steps.

"The use of an interim target and rolling 'carbon budgets' should help to provide the right balance of certainty and flexibility, although the 2020 target continues to look extremely challenging."

Further information

Further information can be found on the Defra website.


	Incentives to recycle in strengthened Climate Change Bill (30/10/2007) "The draft bill we set out earlier this year, and have now refined, is a ground breaking blueprint for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy" Hilary Benn, Environment Secretary London, UK: Incentives to recycle, commonly referred to as “pay as you throw”, have re-appeared in a Government Command Paper. The Command Paper is the UK Government's response to the parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation on the Draft Climate Change Bill. There had been speculation last week that incentives to recycle had been dropped following published responses to a further consultation on incentives to recycle (see MoreThanWaste article). The details of what is described as a "strengthened, more effective and more transparent Bill to help tackle climate change" were set out yesterday by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. The Government says that the Climate Change Bill will provide an overall framework for tackling climate change, in tandem with the proposals in the Energy White Paper, and the forthcoming Energy and Planning Bills. It will be part of a package of action to progress the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy. The intention is to use the Climate Change Bill to implement the Carbon Reduction Commitment – a mandatory cap-and-trade scheme covering energy use emissions from large, non-energy-intensive organisations - and improve the operation of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). Kitchen waste produces methane under landfill anaerobic conditions Importantly from a waste management viewpoint, the Government also intends to provide a power to pilot local authority incentives for household waste minimisation and recycling and will announce proposals at a later date. According to the Government, these policies could save the equivalent of up to 9.4-13.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2020. Landfill is thought to be responsible for 3% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions and this, at least in part, is one reason that the power to pilot waste minimisation and recycling incentives for household waste is likely to be introduced. This power will be taken forward through the Climate Change Bill and, if operated more widely, the Government considers that it could save up to 2 to 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020. In essence these savings relate to the reductions in methane emissions escaping from landfill over the lifetime of a landfill site, though there is expected to be lower landfilling in 2020 resulting from the UK obligation to meet the landfill reduction targets of the EC Landfill Directive. The calculation of emissions saved through waste minimisation and recycling is a difficult one and contains a number of variables. The Climate Change Bill is primarily intended to be framework legislation. It will be supported by policy provisions in the Energy Bill (which applies to the UK) and Planning Bill (which applies to England only), which are being brought forward on a similar timetable. The UK Government also intends to use this Bill to underpin specific measures which will support emissions reductions. Together, these measures could save the equivalent of up to 9.4-13.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2020. Comments Mr Benn said: "We need to step up the fight against climate change and we need to do it fast. "The draft bill we set out earlier this year, and have now refined, is a ground breaking blueprint for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy. It will bind us to legally enforceable emissions reduction targets at home, while giving us greater clout at the international negotiating table. "I am extremely grateful for the invaluable input from the three Parliamentary committees, and from industry and the wider public that has brought us to this point. Thanks to their efforts we will now have a Bill that is stronger, more effective and more transparent. Commenting on the amendments to the draft Climate Change Bill, Michael Roberts, CBI Director of Business Environment, said: "Business urgently needs a credible framework to work towards a low carbon economy, and we believe the Climate Change Bill can provide that. "A stronger Climate Change Committee, and asking the Committee to review the case for increasing the 2050 target and including international aviation emissions within the targets, are all sensible steps. "The use of an interim target and rolling 'carbon budgets' should help to provide the right balance of certainty and flexibility, although the 2020 target continues to look extremely challenging." Further information Further information can be found on the Defra website.