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Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill

Amendments Nos. 35 and 50 will move the definition of greenhouse gases to clause 23, alongside other definitions. This consequential amendment is required because greenhouse gas emissions are referred to at other points in the Bill. Amendment No. 29, which was tabled by the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope), removes nitrous oxide from the definition of greenhouse gases. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential 296 times greater than carbon dioxide. Once released, nitrous oxide has a lifetime of 120 years in the atmosphere. Therefore, the nitrous oxide emitted now will be warming the Earth well into the next century. The United nations framework convention on climate change has recognised the seriousness of anthropogenic emissions of nitrous oxide by including the gas in the ““basket”” of six gases to be included in the Kyoto protocol, and that is what the UK and the rest of the parties to the convention report on.