Climate Change Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 146: 146: Clause 27, page 14, line 16, at beginning insert ““individually and”” The noble Lord said: This is a probing amendment, because we are not entirely sure how this element of Clause 27 will work in practice. Clause 27(1)(c)(i) currently states: "““It is the duty of the Committee to advise the Secretary of State, in relation to each budgetary period, on … the respective contributions towards meeting the carbon budget … by the sectors of the economy covered by trading schemes””." Yet it specifies that this be considered as a whole. Could the Minister explain the logic behind looking at the sectors of the economy that are covered by trading schemes only in the aggregate? The sectors of the economy that will be involved with trading will presumably represent some of the most significant contributors to carbon emissions. Why does the Bill specify that they could be examined only as a whole? Our amendment changes this language to place the duty on the committee to give advice relating to sectors of the economy individually and as a whole. It is not enough simply to advise on the parts of the economy that are trading credits and those that are not. It could be very important to have regard to the contributions to the carbon budget from individual sectors of the economy, however defined. Any information or specificity surely should be welcomed. This amendment neither places a duty to legislate based on sectors nor sets individual targets for sectors. It simply places a duty on the committee to give advice regarding the contributions of individual sectors to the bigger picture. Does the Minister not think that this increased specificity of advice would be useful? I beg to move.