Clause 80
Climate Change Bill [Lords]
5:00 pm
Steve Webb (Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Northavon, Liberal Democrat)
Clause 80, on corporate reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, was inserted in another place by my noble Friend Baroness Northover, and I warmly support its retention in the Bill, and the rejection of Government new clauses 6 and 7, which are a pale shadow of her version. To give a flavour of the paleness of that shadow—I am not sure how colourfully I can convey the flavour of paleness—the Government’s proposal is to take out the reporting requirements in clause 80 and to insert two other clauses.
New clause 6 refers to publishing guidance to assist reporting, which must be done by October 2009—getting on for 18 months. The first draconian measure planned by the Government on such a vital issue, therefore, is the publication of guidance late next year to assist reporting. It will not necessarily require anyone to do any reporting, but those who do, or would like to, will get some guidance some time late next year.
New clause 7 promises a review of whether the reporting would contribute much, and must be completed no later than 2011. That means that we will get some advice in one year, and a review concluding in three years. One might sense a lack of urgency over the whole issue. The challenge, therefore, is to explain why it matters to the Committee. It has emerged during the debate, and in the contributions from Members on both sides, that we all share a common concern about climate change. The question is what role the corporate sector has, and how far the reporting requirements address those concerns. Our contention is that retention of clause 80, and even stiffening it up, would contribute far more than the Government’s very weak alternative.