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Climate Change Bill [Lords]

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: New clause 5— Company reporting of greenhouse gas emissions— ‘(1) Any company that is required to produce a business review under section 417 of the Companies Act 2006 (c.46) must have regard to any guidance issued under section 80 of this Act when reporting on greenhouse gas emissions. (2) The Secretary of State may by order provide that any company that is required to produce a business review that includes information on environment matters (including the impact of the company’s business on the environment) under section 417(5) of the Companies Act (c.46) must include information on greenhouse gas emissions, and in doing so have regard to any guidance issued under section 80 of this Act. (3) The Secretary of State may by order provide that compliance with guidance issued under Section 80 of this Act will be presumed to constitute compliance with section 417 of the Companies Act 2006 (c.46). (4) The Secretary of State must make provision under either subsection (2) or subsection (3) before 1st April 2010. (5) The expiry of the period mentioned in subsection (4) does not affect the power of the Secretary of State to make further provision by order under subsections (2) and (3). (6) The Secretary of State shall, when setting carbon budget pursuant to section 4 of this Act, lay before Parliament a report on any changes to any guidance issued hereunder which the Secretary of State believes are necessary to promote the achievement of any carbon targets. (7) Any order under this section is subject to affirmative resolution procedure.’. New clause 18— Report on the civil estate— ‘(1) It is the duty of the Office of Government Commerce to lay before Parliament each year a report setting out the progress Her Majesty’s Government has made towards improving the efficiency and sustainability of its civil estate. (2) The report must include the progress made towards— (a) reducing the size of the civil estate; (b) improving the sustainability of the buildings that already form part of the civil estate; and (c) ensuring that any new buildings procured for the civil estate are in the upper quartile of energy performance. (3) Where any new building procured for the civil estate is not in the upper quartile of energy performance, the report must state the reasons why this is the case. (4) A report under this section must be laid before Parliament not later than 1st June in the year in which it is to be so laid.’. New clause 20— Company reporting of greenhouse gas emissions (No. 2)— ‘(1) The Secretary of State may by order provide that companies of particular classes or descriptions must produce as part of their business review under section 417 of the Companies Act 2006 (c. 46) such information on greenhouse gas emissions as may be specified in the order. (2) Any company that is required to produce information under subsection (1) must have regard to any guidance issued under section 80 of this Act when reporting on greenhouse gas emissions. (3) The Secretary of State may by order provide that compliance with guidance issued under section 80 of this Act will be presumed to constitute compliance with section 417 of the Companies Act 2006 (c. 46). (4) The Secretary of State must make provisions under either subsection (1) or subsection (3) before a date to be prescribed by order. (5) The expiry of the period mentioned in subsection (4) does not affect the power of the Secretary of State to make further provision by order under subsections (1) and (3). (6) The Secretary of State shall, when setting carbon budget pursuant to section 4 of this Act, lay before Parliament a report on any changes to any guidance issued hereunder which the Secretary of State believes are necessary to promote the achievement of any carbon targets.’. Amendment No. 16, in clause 13, page 7, line 26 , at end insert— ‘(3A) The Secretary of State must prepare an annual report to be laid before Parliament setting out the level of expenditure within the whole UK economy spent on efforts to achieve the targets fixed in the carbon budgets.’. Government amendment No. 44.