The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) is an expert, independent, statutory public body, created to assess how the UK can best achieve its emissions reduction targets for 2020 and 2050 and to assess progress towards the statutory carbon budgets. It was created by the Climate Change Act 2008 and plays a crucial role in the UK’s effort to tackle climate change.
In summary, the Climate Change Act 2008 requires that the CCC will advise on:
- the level of each five-year carbon budget, in order to meet the statutory 2050 and 2020 targets
- how much effort should be made towards meeting these from the UK and overseas
- how much effort should be made by the part of the economy covered by cap and trade schemes (the traded sector), and by the rest of the economy (the non traded sector).
An Adaptation Sub-Committee of the CCC provides independent scrutiny of Government in relation to:
- the preparation of the UK risk assessment, in particular its methodology and conclusions
- the implementation of the Government’s Adaptation Programme (for England and reserved matters), highlighting areas where the Government is doing well, and areas where it is falling short on achieving changes
- any relevant topic suggested by the Government and the Devolved Administrations
Role of the CCC
Advice on carbon budgets
On 1 December 2008, the Committee provided its advice to the UK Government and Devolved Administrations on the optimum level of the first three Carbon budgets, consistent with achieving the 2020 and 2050 targets and fulfilling the UK’s international obligations.
The CCC’s report, Building a low carbon economy: the UK’s contribution to tackling climate change, recommended the UK reduce emissions of all greenhouse gases by at least 34 percent by 2020 relative to 1990 levels. This should increase to 42 percent relative to 1990 (31 percent relative to 2005) once a global deal to reduce emissions is struck.
In making its recommendations, the CCC balanced a range of criteria, including economic, environmental and social factors. The Climate Change Act includes a list of factors the CCC must consider when recommending the level of each budget:
- scientific knowledge about climate change
- technology relevant to climate change
- economic circumstances – in particular, the likely impact of the decision on the economy and the competitiveness of particular sectors of the economy
- fiscal circumstances – in particular, the likely impact of the decision on taxation, public spending and public borrowing
- social circumstances – in particular, the likely impact of the decision on fuel poverty
- energy policy – in particular, the likely impact of the decision on energy supplies and the carbon and energy intensity of the economy
- differences in circumstances between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- circumstances at European and international level
- the estimated amount of reportable emissions from international aviation and international shipping for the budgetary period or periods in question
The CCC is the first body of its kind bringing together different strands of expertise from the fields of climate science and policy, economics, business competitiveness and financial management. It draws on existing information and undertakes its own analysis to provide expert advice to ministers. It may also be asked to give advice to Ministers on specific climate change matters as and when requested.
The CCC will provide advice on the level of the fourth carbon budget (2023 to 2027) by the end of 2010, and must advise on subsequent carbon budgets at five-year intervals thereafter.
Annual reports on progress
The Climate Change Act requires the CCC to produce annual reports setting out the Committee’s views on:
- the progress that has been made towards meeting carbon budgets and the 2050 target
- the further progress that is needed to meet the budgets and target
- whether the budgets and target are likely to be met
The CCC’s third progress report to Parliament, 'Meeting carbon budgets', was published on 30 June 2011. The Act requires that the Government produce a response to each of the CCC’s reports, and the Government response to the Third Annual Progress Report of the Committee on Climate Change was published on 13 October 2011.
The CCC’s reports must be produced by 30 June annually, with the Government’s response to follow by 15 October in the same year.
Membership of the CCC
The Climate Change Act requires that the statutory Committee includes a Chair and between five and eight members, supported by staff to conduct in-depth analysis into the issues being considered.
The Committee is chaired by Lord Adair Turner and currently has seven members:
- Sir Brian Hoskins
- Lord Robert May
- Professor Jim Skea
- Dr Sam Fankhauser
- Professor Michael Grubb
- Professor Julia King
- Lord John Krebs (Chair of the Adaptation sub-Committee)
The Committee’s Chief Executive is David Kennedy.
Adaptation sub-Committee (ASC)
The Adaptation Sub-Committee to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) was established under the Climate Change Act 2008 to advise Government on its work on the national Climate Change Risk Assessment, and ensure that the Government’s Adaptation Programme enables England to prepare effectively for the impacts of climate change.
The Adaptation Sub-Committee is chaired by Lord John Krebs, who is also a member of the CCC, and has eight other members:
- Lord John Krebs
- Graham Wynne
- Professor Jim Hall
- Dr. Sam Fankhauser
- Dr. Andrew Dlugolecki
- Barbara Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone
- Professor Martin Parry
- Professor Anne Johnson
- Professor Tim Palmer
For further information about the ASC please the CCC: Adaptation Sub-Committee web page.
Framework document
The CCC is sponsored jointly by HM Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly, and the Northern Ireland Executive. The updated framework document, published in March 2010, specifies the roles and responsibilities of the Committee and the mechanisms for managing the relationships between the CCC and the four administrations.
Concordat
The Climate Change Act 2008 concordat sets out the working practices between the four administrations (HM Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive) for the overall Act.