SLCC_13: Climate Change: National, regional and local policy

Introduction

Climate change is defining a new legislative and policy agenda for the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU) and globally. While the overall direction is not yet fully defined, there is now clear national and international momentum towards substantive economic and planning intervention to control emissions of greenhouse gases and encourage the use of low carbon alternatives.

Efficient and effective policies and legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions work, in part, through changing people’s behaviour and also by raising the prices of fossil fuel energy products to encourage energy efficiency and the substitution of clean energy sources for fossil fuel. This is essential to prevent extensive environmental and economic damage from climate change. However, it will raise costs to consumers for a wide range of products and services, including petrol, electricity, food, transport, and other energy-intensive products, by-products and services with significant energy inputs. A range of countries across the world, including the UK and the United States, have introduced policies and legislation to combat climate change and the effects of greenhouse gases.

This unit considers national, regional and local policy and legislation in the UK and elsewhere.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

• To gain a basic knowledge about the UK Climate Change Act 2008;

• To gain a basic understanding of what is happening in other countries with respect to addressing the effects of climate change;

• To gain a basic knowledge of how planning policy and economic policy in the UK are being adapted in the light of climate change;

• To gain a basic understanding of local initiatives that address climate change.

1 Climate change policy and legislation

1.1 Stern review on the economics of climate change

The United Kingdom (UK) government has recognised that urgent action is required to address the causes and consequences of climate change. It commissioned the Stern Review in 2006, which set out the economic case for action on climate change, and concluded that the cost of inaction would be far greater than tackling this issue immediately. The review also highlighted that the costs of tackling climate change are lowest in the context of multilateral action.

Subsequently, in October 2006 (and with the help of the ‘Big Ask’ campaign) the government announced its intention to publish legislation on climate change, and a draft Climate Change Bill was published for public consultation in March 2007. The revised Bill was introduced into the House of Lords in November 2007, after taking into account findings from the parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation processes.

• Website of the Stern Review, including a link to the report.
• YouTube video about the Big Ask Campaign.

1.2 Climate Change Act 2008

The Climate Change Act 2008 established a framework for the UK to achieve its long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure steps are taken towards adapting to the effects and impact of climate change. It covers the following elements:

• setting emissions reduction targets in statute and carbon budgeting;
• a new reporting framework which provides for a system of annual reporting by the UK government on the country's greenhouse gas emissions;
• the creation of an independent advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change, to advise the UK government and devolved administrations on how to reduce emissions over time;
• trading scheme powers which includes powers to enable the UK government and the devolved administrations to introduce new domestic trading schemes to reduce emissions through secondary legislation;
• adaptation – the Act sets out a procedure for assessing the risks of the impact of climate change for the UK, and a requirement on the government to develop an adaptation programme on matters for which it is responsible;
• policy measures which reduce emissions.

Click here for the Climate Change Act 2008.

1.3 Climate Change policy and legislation in the United States of America

While climate change is viewed as a global issue, proposed responses require action at the national level.

In 1992, the United States ratified the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In 2001, President George W. Bush rejected the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC. Instead, the Bush Administration focused on reducing the greenhouse gas intensity.

With a change of US president in 2009, new policy is emerging. Read the keynote remarks by Todd Stern at the US Climate Action Symposium here. Read about the US Climate Change Bill here.

1.4 European Union policy and legislation

A summary and update of the European Parliament’s action on climate change can be found here.

Reducing greenhouse gases is a key component of European action. The EU has a monitoring mechanism in place, across member countries, to keep regular track of emissions and the absorption of these gases. With a view to gradually reducing emissions, the EU has also established a system based on market rules, a greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme and specific rules on fluorinated greenhouse gases. For more on this click here.

The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is based on Directive 2003/87/EC, which entered into force on 25 October 2003. It currently applies to energy intensive businesses such as mineral industries and pulp and paper industries. Companies are allocated allowances and must ensure that at the end of the year they have enough allowances to account for their emissions; they can then trade allowances, purchasing additional ones to cover extra emissions or selling any surplus. Read more about the scheme here.

Details of the European Commission’s programme on climate change can be found here.

2 The adaptation of planning and economic policies in the UK

2.1 The need for adaptation

Tackling climate change is no longer just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We can see changes in the climate almost daily such as longer summers, more severe storms, and glaciers melting all over the world. Adaptation means learning to live with these changes, and preparing for other unavoidable environmental changes.

Individuals, organisations, and governments will all have to take targeted steps and do some things differently if they are to manage and live with a changing climate.

People and businesses across the UK are now beginning to change their behaviour in response to government-sponsored information on the effects of climate change. As levels of awareness of climate change grows, individuals, local government councils and others are taking positive steps, such as reducing waste and recycling, in adapting to climate change.

2.2 UK adaptation policy and action plans

The following websites show how planning policy and economic development policy in the UK are being adapted in the face of climate change and some websites provides information about local initiatives that address climate change issues.

• The Stern Review, from the UK government’s Office of Climate Change. This review on the economics of climate change is universally regarded as the most comprehensive review ever carried out on the economics of climate change. It was published on 30 October 2006 and was lead by Lord Stern, the then head of the Government Economic Service and former World Bank chief economist.
• Q&A from the Guardian newspaper on adaptations to climate change.
• Briefing outlining the impact of climate change upon water, including water resources and infrastructure, and discussing how the UK water industry is addressing them.
• 'The economic impact of EU and UK Climate Change legislation on the Manchester City region of the North West.'
• ‘Public Health – a study of the effects of climate change on public health in Hampshire, England, UK’.
• Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in the Urban Environment’.
• ‘Adapting to climate change in England: a framework for action 2008’, the local government White Paper that includes an outline of planning policy.
• ‘Helping people change behaviour and take action’, from the UK government’s Department of Climate Change, outlines how the government is ensuring that individuals and businesses have the information, technology and motivation to take action to save energy. These changes include in routine behaviour and radical ways of saving energy.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

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