World's first climate change bill to get Royal Assent today

The UK will officially become the first country in the world to adopt legally-binding carbon emission targets later this evening when the long-anticipated climate change bill is given Royal Assent.

It will be joined on the statue book by the new energy bill and planning bill, both of which will pass into law at the same time and provide the government with many of the enabling powers required to begin work towards meeting its target of cutting emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

Under the climate change bill, the government will have to adhere to five year carbon budgets and will be required to provide annual reports on its progress towards meeting the budgets. Any government failing to operate within the five year budgets will have to report to parliament to explain its failure and could be subject to judicial review.

A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said that the independent climate change committee will make its recommendations on the first three carbon budgets – which will run from 2008 to 2013, 2013 to 2018, and 2018 to 2023 – next Monday.

The government will then assess that advice and set out its first three carbon budgets in the financial budget in March. That will be followed by a report on how the government plans to ensure the budgets are met in June.

The spokesman said the fourth budget for the five year period from 2023 will be set in 2011, in an attempt to ensure businesses have long term visibility over the emission targets the economy will have to adhere to.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, welcomed the passing of the new legislation, heralding it as the beginning of a major shift in the UK's approach to climate change.

"Setting the 80 per cent target was the easy part: now the work really begins," he said. "Government, communities, businesses and individuals need to work together to bring about change."

He added that the climate change bill would be supported by the changes enabled in the energy and planning bills, including moves to bolster support for renewables, drive the development of a new fleet of nuclear reactors and remove planning system bottlenecks that have resulted in enough renewable power for more than one and a half million homes being stuck in the planning system.

"The Energy and Planning Acts will be instrumental in reducing carbon emissions, removing barriers to enable industry to invest in important new infrastructure, and giving individuals and communities the incentive to use energy more efficiently and generate their own heat and energy," he said.

Businesses will now be watching the extent to which the government chooses to take up the enabling powers offered by the new bills.

The legislation essentially sets a framework for future climate change action, allowing the government to bring in rules requiring the corporate reporting of carbon emissions or banning the use of free single-use carrier bags, for example, if businesses fail to embrace voluntary initiatives.

New powers incorporated in the bills that would allow the establishment of a feed in tariff for renewable energy technologies delivering less than five megawatts of power, or enable the roll out of smart meters or carbon capture and storage technologies, are similarly still dependent on forthcoming government consultations.

To mark the passing of the three bills, the government today also launched a new initiative as part of its Act on CO2 campaign, designed to encourage individuals to take action to cut emissions.

As part of the People Power challenge volunteers from Newcastle, Portsmouth and Birmingham will attempt to reduce the energy they use in their daily lives, with a dedicated website tracking their progress and comparing the success between the three cities.

"The People Power challenge will show people how they can save energy in their homes and on the road – so saving money and helping the fight against climate change," said environment secretary, Hilary Benn. "We all have a responsibility for the future of the environment, and in these tough economic times, we can all benefit by thinking carefully about using energy."