Clause 23
Climate Change Bill [Lords]
7:00 pm
Phil Woolas (Minister of State (Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Oldham East and Saddleworth, Labour)
I was expecting a debate about science on this sensible amendment; I am now drawn into politics. My reaction to the comments by the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle is “double shocking”.
A number of allegations have been made. Let me address the content of the amendment, rather than my party’s manifestos. There are very strong arguments indeed for including the other greenhouse gases in the Bill’s targets and budgets, particularly scientific arguments, which are, of course, the strongest. Also, including those gases would ensure consistency with the international approach. The European and international approach is for targets that cover all greenhouse gases rather than just CO2 and we recognise that our current targets are not consistent with that approach. Therefore, we said in the other place—I repeat it here—that we will include other greenhouse gases in our targets if that is what the committee advises; I suspect that it will do so.
There is a very important point that I ask the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle to consider. In including the other greenhouse gases, one must, of course, have strategies for reducing them. While we concentrate on the CO2 element, on which there are strategies and policies in place and there is expectation of progress in the future, that is not necessarily the case for all the other greenhouse gases. That is not a reason for not including them, though.