Climate Change Committee
The Climate Change Committee (CCC), was originally called the Committee on Climate Change. It was formed as an independent non-departmental public body, under the Climate Change Act of 2008, with the role of advising governments of the UK on climate change, including setting carbon budgets and reporting yearly on progess in reducing GHG emissions.
The Committee was formally launched as a statutory committee in December 2008 with Lord Turner as its chair, with an Adaptation Sub-Committee set up in 2009 to provide advice to Government about adaptation and preparing for climate change impacts.
The Committee has produced one or two significant reports each year since being established, referred to as the climate change committee progress reports, with recommendationsincluding the creation of a legally binding commitment to cut emissions of greenhouse gasses by at least 34% by 2020 and by 80% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels.
In 2019 these targets were then amended via the 2050 Target Amendment Order 2019 which increased the UK's commitment to a more ambitious target of 100% reduction in emissions by 2050, as such requiring 78% reduction by 2035. The Act also requires the Government to publish carbon budgets setting five-yearly caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Key documents are the yearly progress reports, including the sixth carbon budget and a net zero agenda in line with this.
The first biennial joint progress report from the Committee on Climate Change and the Adaptation Sub-Committee was presented to the UK Parliament on 30 June 2015. The joint progress reports include an assessment of the UK Government's National Adaptation Programme by the Adaptation Sub-Committee, with the most recent being published and presented before parliament in 2023.
The committee also publishes other advice on climate change science, economics and policy, including the Carbon Reduction Commitment, Low-carbon innovation, Aviation, Adaptation and Scottish climate change targets.
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