News

A dramatic fall in greenhouse gas emissions following the recession has brought the UK's climate change targets for the next five years within easy reach, taking the pressure off Government and businesses to comply.

Government estimates released in February show greenhouse gas emissions fell by 8.7% in the period 2008/2009, the biggest drop since records began in 1990. Carbon dioxide levels plunged 9.8%, a fall only matched in 1980. The unexpected slump in emissions mirrors the fall in industrial output in the recession, with high-emitting sectors such as construction and transport hit particularly hard. However, it also means that Government-set climate change targets of cutting emissions by 35% by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, now look much easier to meet. The UK has already met the targets for 2016, providing emissions stay at 2009 levels.

This raises the prospect that businesses could effectively take an "emissions holiday", meaning they will not need to invest in energy efficiency and renewable power for several years. Green experts have however warned that such inactivity would make it more expensive to achieve the further falls in the UK's emissions needed after 2020.

In other emissions news, a draft report has revealed Europe's new energy strategy could lead to a 25% cut in greenhouse gases by the end of the decade, which would see fuel import bills roughly halved.

The document was leaked amid renewed debate about whether the EU should extend the planned cuts to greenhouse gases beyond the current 20% goal. Environmentalists have commented that the goal has become too soft after the economic crisis cut emissions to 17% below the baseline. However, with Europe's older industries, such as steel, openly hostile to raising climate ambitions, politicians are shying away from setting any new targets and instead focusing on actions and financing to ensure existing plans are carried out.

European Union leaders agreed last month to tighten their enforcement of energy-savings targets, and Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger is preparing an ambitious plan for upgrading power grids to absorb more green power. Further details on this strategy are expected to be presented next month.

For more information, see the:

• Climate Change Act 2008;
• Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Buckingham Palace has found itself embroiled in a furious row with foreign broadcasters over plans to plunge the building into darkness at at time when most of the world will be tuned in for live coverage of the royal wedding.

In Iine with the efforts of the Prince of Wales to tackle climate change, the lights illuminating the Palace are to be turned off at 12.30am on the night of the wedding in order to save energy.

However, this will be 5.30pm in the United States, when millions of people will be sitting down to prime time viewing of the most eagerly anticipated live event of the year. US and Canadian broadcasters have heavily invested in studios and presenters, including Cat Deeley and Piers Morgan, and are said to be in involved in frantic talks with officials.

Australian broadcasters will also be hit by the timing, which will mean that their audience will be unable to see presenters against a lit up Buckingham Palace background.

Nevertheless, it is anticipated that Prince Charles, a seasoned climate campaigner, will be frustrated with this matter. He has previously highlighted the rapid melting of the north polar ice cap as a wake-up call "as we sleepwalk our way towards the edge of catastrophe" and called for a "courageous and revolutionary" approach to tackling global warming.

He has previously warned that if such an approach was not embarked upon, "The result will be catastrophe for all of us, but with the poorest in our world hit hardest of all. In this sense it is surely comparable to war."

A dirty dozen of non-native animals and plants threatening Britain's rivers and canals have been named.

British Waterways said all 12 species were released after being bought as pets or ornamental pond plants and quickly spread because they had no predators in the UK. The body, which is responsible for 2,200 miles of rivers and canals, is now urging people to dispose of any invasive species responsibly.

It spends about £1million a year trying to repair damage caused by the invaders. Invasive species can cause problems because they are normally bigger, faster growing or more aggressive than native ones and are often resistant to traditional methods of control.

The dirty dozen include Chinese mitten crabs, which burrow into and undermine river banks, and red-eared terrapins, that eat ducklings and can grow as big as dinner plates. They became popular during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze about 20 years ago.

Ecologist Chris John said, "In their native countries these particular species are kept in check by nature. Whilst not all non-native species are harmful, many pose real problems to our native wildlife, to boaters and to our historic channels, locks and bridges. With no natural predators to control them they can overwhelm wildlife, channels, banks and towpaths. He added, "British Waterways invests a large amount of time and money to protect our canals and rivers through identifying, monitoring and controlling damaging species. This is very costly and diverts resources that could be used elsewhere on the waterway network."

The other animals on the list are American signal crayfish, mink, zebra mussels and zander fish. The invasive plants include Japanese knotweed, Australian swamp stonecrop, Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed, water fern and floating pennywort.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that from 6 April 2012 the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations SI 1995/3163 (RIDDOR) will change with regard to incapacitation.

RIDDOR aims to allow the relevant authorities to investigate serious accidents, and requires employers and the self-employed to report major injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences. Under the current Regulations, if someone at work has become incapacitated for more than three consecutive days because of an injury from an accident at work, the responsible person must send a report to the enforcing authority within 10 days of the accident.

From 6 April 2012, and subject to approval from Parliament, the law around incapacitation will change, so that the number of days of incapacitation that will trigger a report changes from three days to seven. This means that the relevant person only has to report injuries that lead to a worker being incapacitated for more than seven consecutive days as a result of an injury or accident at work.

The deadline by which the over seven day injuries must be reported also increases from 10 days to 15 days from the accident. However, those with responsibility under RIDDOR must still keep a record of all over three day injuries.

For more information, see the:

• HSE guidance on reporting accidents and incidents at work: http://cedr.ec/24.

The Radioactive Substances Exemption (Scotland) Order SSI 2011/147 has been published which will revoke and replace 18 existing exemption orders on 1 October 2011.

Registration for the accumulation of radioactive substances is required under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, although there are exemptions for naturally occurring radioactivity and substances of low activity (amongst others). This Order will bring the current exemption orders together into one single piece of legislation, in order to provide clearer implementation of Directive 96/29/EURATOM, which allows for the exemption of radioactive materials up to specified concentrations and total quantities as well as for low-risk activities.

In England and Wales, theRadioactive Substances Act 1993 was brought under Schedule 23 of the Environmental Permitting Regulations SI 2010/675, with the exception of the exemption orders. These are currently under review with a view to introducing a new regime similar to that just introduced in Scotland.

The Waste and Contaminated Land (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Act 2011 received Royal Assent on 10 February 2011.

Once commenced, it will make a number of amendments to the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order SI 1997/2778, in order to strengthen and make clearer the existing statutory framework for waste on land. The amendments also legislate for a partnership approach between the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and local government in tackling illegal waste activity.

In particular, this Act makes some changes to the provisions contained in the Order for managing land that has been contaminated by pollution. Although those provisions have not yet come into force, they mainly reflect lessons learned through experience of similar legislation in England and Wales.