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Make
provision for the adoption of a policy of combating climate change
in |
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accordance with the principles
of contraction and convergence; and for |
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Be
it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty,
by and with the advice and |
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consent of the Lords Spiritual
and Temporal, and Commons, in this present |
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Parliament assembled, and
by the authority of the same, as follows:— |
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“carbon emission
rights” means rights to discharge greenhouse gases into
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“contraction and convergence”
means — |
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(a) |
the stabilising of
atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse |
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gases at a safe and
stable level, with planned progress towards |
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that objective by an
agreed date, and |
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(b) |
the equitable distribution
of carbon emission rights among |
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individual states or
groups of states, in proportion to their |
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population, with planned
progress towards that objective by an |
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as agreed in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
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“full-term contraction
budget for global greenhouse gas emissions” and |
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“contraction budget”
mean an arrangement for the progressive |
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reduction of atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases to a safe |
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and stable level over a defined
period; |
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“greenhouse gases”
means— |
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(f) |
sulphur hexafluoride,
and |
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(g) |
any
other gas which may be prescribed in regulations made by |
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“safe and stable
level” means a maximum concentration of 450 million |
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parts per volume, or such
lower level as may be prescribed in |
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regulations made by the Secretary
of State. |
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2 |
Duty
of Secretary of State |
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It shall be the duty of
the Secretary of State to pursue a policy of combating |
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global climate change in
accordance with the principles of contraction and |
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3 |
Implementation
of policy |
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In order to further the
policy set out in section 2,
the Secretary of State shall |
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seek to secure international
agreement on— |
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(a) |
a safe and stable level of
concentrations of greenhouse gases in the |
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(b) |
a full-term contraction budget
for global greenhouse gas emissions; |
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(c) |
the distribution of the contraction
budget among individual states or |
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groups of states in the form
of carbon emission rights in such a way that |
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distribution in proportion
to population is achieved before the end of |
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the period to which the contraction
budget applies, whether or not a |
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population base-year has been
agreed; |
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(d) |
accelerating the rate of
global convergence relative to the rate of global |
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contraction in the contraction
budget in its application to different |
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regions of the world, whether
developed or not; |
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(e) |
the sale and purchase of
carbon emission rights, both between and |
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within individual states,
in order to promote the development of, and |
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investment in, technology
which reduces carbon emissions to a |
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(f) |
the revision by the Conferences
of Parties and Meetings of Parties to the |
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UNFCCC of any agreed rates
of contraction and convergence so as to |
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take account of improvements
in the scientific understanding of the |
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dangers of climate change. |
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The Secretary of State shall
in the course of each year lay before Parliament a |
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(a) |
an assessment commissioned
by him of the current state of global |
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emissions of greenhouse gases; |
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(b) |
a statement on the progress
made in the previous year in negotiations |
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towards implementing the provisions
of sections 2
and 3
of this Act; |
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(c) |
his assessment of the efficacy
of the instruments of domestic policy |
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which are designed to give
effect to the contraction budget; and |
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(d) |
a statement on the progress
made in the previous year towards the |
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implementation of the contraction
budget. |
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(1) |
Any power of the Secretary
of State to make regulations under this Act is |
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exercisable by statutory
instrument. |
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