Overview

The Climate and Ecology (No. 2) Bill mandates the UK government to meet ambitious climate and nature targets. It establishes a legally binding duty to create and implement a comprehensive strategy, involving public consultation and expert input, to achieve net-zero emissions and halt biodiversity loss.

Description

This bill sets legally binding targets for the UK to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree Celsius goal and to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The Secretary of State is required to create a strategy within 12 months to meet these targets.

Key elements of the strategy include:

• Limiting UK carbon dioxide emissions to its proportionate share of the remaining global carbon budget.
• Reducing emissions from imports at a similar rate to domestic reductions.
• Phasing out fossil fuel exploration, extraction, export, and import as rapidly as possible.
• Prioritizing the avoidance of nature loss through the Mitigation and Conservation Hierarchy.
• Restoring and expanding natural ecosystems.
• Addressing potential negative impacts on vulnerable groups (e.g., those in deprived communities and protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010) and providing financial support and retraining for those affected by the transition.

The bill establishes a Climate and Nature Assembly to advise on the strategy, whose recommendations will be reviewed by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) before inclusion in the final strategy. Parliament will ultimately approve the strategy.

The bill ensures devolved administrations have a say, requiring their consent for the targets and strategy to apply to areas of devolved competence.

Government Spending

The bill states that any expenditure incurred under or by virtue of the act, as well as any increases in sums payable under any other Act attributable to this Act, will be paid out of money provided by Parliament. No specific figures are provided in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

• Government: Legally bound to meet ambitious targets and implement a comprehensive strategy.
• Devolved administrations (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland): Their consent is required for the bill's application to areas within their legislative competence.
• Fossil fuel industry: Likely to face significant challenges due to the planned phase-out of fossil fuels.
• Environmental organizations: May see the bill as a positive step towards achieving environmental goals.
• Businesses and individuals: Potential impacts on various sectors and livelihoods will depend on the specifics of the strategy, with financial support and retraining provisions mentioned for those affected by the transition.
• Vulnerable groups: The bill aims to mitigate negative impacts on these groups (people in deprived communities, young people, and those with protected characteristics), but the effectiveness will depend on implementation.

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