Environment Minister Arlene Foster this month welcomed the publication of the UK Government's response to the consultation on the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC). The scheme, which will legally require large users of electricity to reduce their consumption, is designed to save at least four million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2020 - the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.
The CRC will be implemented via the Climate Change Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.
Minister Foster said, "I believe that the CRC will make a very significant contribution to the reduction of carbon produced by large public and private sector organisations through greater efficiency and thereby contributing to the overall reduction of Northern Ireland's carbon emissions. I will be bringing the scheme to both the Environment Committee and the Northern Ireland Executive for policy approval over the coming months."
The CRC is scheduled to begin operation in 2010 as a mandatory emissions trading scheme that will cover around 5,000 public and private organisations. This includes Government departments, retailers, banks, and local authorities and will account for 10% of the UK economy.
