INFORM
Policy Tracker
The latest reports and developments in environmental SB More Info Inside this Issue
policy, regulation, legislation and voluntary initiatives
C Current Consultations
BUDGET 2009 FINANCE
EXTRA MONEY FOR THE LOW-CARBON ECONOMY SUSTAINABLE NEW DEAL
Details: The government will provide £10.4B of low-carbon Details: The Sustainable Development Commission has
and energy investment over the next three years. Of published Sustainable New Deal, setting out
this, £1.4B is new money announced in the 2009 proposals for government programmes to address
Budget. And this £1.4B will be spent through a both the economic recession and the sustainable
combination of direct government spending and development agenda. The report recommends
the “enabling” of private sector investment. action to upgrade energy standards in existing
The £1.4B includes: housing stock; scale up renewable energy,
■ £375M for energy and waste including micorenewables from the government
■ £405M to support the development of UK low- estate; redesign the National Grid; promote
carbon and advanced green-manufacturing sector sustainable transport; and develop skills for a
This £405M will be spent through: low-carbon economy
■ £155M for the Environmental Transformation Fund Information: www.sd-commission.org.uk
– which funds close to market technologies
POLLUTION CONTROL
■ £250M for the Strategic Investment Fund – which
provides grants for mature markets to attract inward NEW DEFRA POLLUTION WEBSITE
investment into the UK. Details: Defra has launched the Pollutant Release and
The Budget also announced £70M to support Transfer Registers. The registers implement the
decentralised small-scale and community low- UN Economic Commission for Europe Protocol on
carbon energy – this will be through the Low- Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, providing
Carbon Buildings Programme and funding for low- information on pollution from industrial sites and
carbon community heating schemes other sources. This follows an international agree-
CLIMATE CHANGE ACT AND CARBON BUDGETS ment (the 2003 Kiev Protocol) requiring govern-
Details: Alongside the Budget, the government published its ments to make this information publicly available
first three draft Carbon Budgets under the Climate Information: www.defra.gov.uk
Change Act. These have to be finalised by 1 June. AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS
The first three Carbon Budgets are as follows: Details: The UK Accreditation Service has announced that it
■ 2008-12 – a 22% reduction in greenhouse gas will be tightening up checks on accredited Stack
emissions below 1990 levels Emissions Monitoring (SEM) organisations, using
■ 2013-17 – a 28% reduction unannounced visits and publishing information
■ 2013-17 – a 34% reduction about any sanctions imposed. The Accreditation
The government has stated that it will increase the Service says that this is in response to a significant
level of ambition of the Carbon Budgets following number of complaints about the way the SEM
agreement of a post-Kyoto international framework system is currently working
for tackling climate change in Copenhagen in Information: www.ukas.com
December 2009
Timeline: The government will publish details of the propos-
WASTE
als and policies for meeting the first three Carbon ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING
Budgets in the summer. It has stated that the UK will Details: Defra, the Department of Energy and Climate
“aim to meet the budget through domestic effort Change, and the Welsh Assembly Government
only in the sectors not covered by the EU Emissions have launched a joint consultation on government
Trading System (EU ETS).” However, the purchase of guidance for the Environmental Permitting
credits will still be available as a “fallback option” Programme.
NEW INDUSTRY, NEW JOBS The programme has been designed to create a
Details: DBERR has published Building Britain’s Future – single, more user-friendly permitting and
New Industry, New Jobs. The report identifies key compliance system for Waste Management
growth areas of the economy where government Licensing and Pollution Prevention and Control. The
support is needed to ensure that UK business is current consultation is on guidance for regulations
positioned to take advantages of the market incorporating water discharge consenting,
opportunities these growth areas offer. The report groundwater authorisations, mining waste, batteries,
identifies the opportunities available from the transi- and radioactive substances into the Environmental
tion to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. It Permitting regime
states that governments have a key role in setting Timeline: C consultation ends 29 July
the policy framework and creating some of the Information: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/
incentives that will drive this transition env-permitting-guidance/index.htm
16 June 2009 ❘ Sustainable Business
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