12 Domestic Tradable Quotas (Carbon Emissions)
Bill
| Date introduced to the House of Commons
Current Bill Number
Previous Reports
| 7 July 2004
House of Commons 136
None
|
12.1 This Bill would establish a system for regulating carbon
emissions. It would set a national limit for emission of greenhouse
gasses each year—the "carbon budget" (clause 3).
Within this "carbon units", allowing for prescribed
levels of emissions, would be allocated (clause 4). Carbon units
would be allocated automatically to individuals. "Eligible
organisations" would then be permitted to buy the remaining
carbon units, which would be sold by auction. Carbon units would
be used up whenever prescribed fuels or electricity were purchased
(clause 6). Carbon units could also be traded, and a commission
would be appointed under clause 6 (2) which would regulate this
trade and provide for licensing of brokers in the transfer of
carbon units.
12.2 The scheme established by the Bill, in limiting
fuel emissions for all organisations and individuals, and in requiring
organisations and individuals to pay for fuel use beyond these
limits, would be likely to amount to a control on the use of property
under Article 1 of Protocol 1 ECHR. This interference with property
rights would, in our view, be likely to be justified in the public
interest, provided that regulations under the Bill allowed for
the operation of the scheme in a proportionate and non-discriminatory
manner.
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