Carbon reduction commitment on UK Government's agenda

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"]The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is likely to be one of the most far-reaching pieces of regulation to come out of Whitehall for years. The CRC aims to be a broad carbon trading scheme for the big energy users and carbon emitters not already covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and it will impact on both public and private sector organisations when it kicks in April 2010. In practice, organisations will not have to be vast to be covered by the CRC - most secondary schools, hospitals, supermarkets, major offices and local authorities will find themselves needing to comply and Defra expects around 20,000 organisations to be affected by the CRC initially – although Government departments with poor energy efficiency could find themselves in the embarrassing position of being forced to buy carbon credits from better-performing private companies Schools will get free advice on reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Big energy users will have to put cash into a central pot and then receive payouts according to how successful they have been in reducing carbon although the scheme also aims to take into account the fact that those who have already taken steps to reduce their emissions will find it harder and more expensive to make further cuts. Edie.net reports that organisations that can demonstrate that they measure, manage and reduce their carbon footprint could find themselves in a better starting position when the CRC begins - one way the CRC will do this is to give extra credit to organisations that have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard, a kitemark that shows a commitment to continual carbon cuts and one year on from the standards launch, 100 organisations have been certified cutting the UK's emissions by 600,000 tonnes of carbon and saving over £50m in energy bills - banking giant HSBC was the 100th achiever, following big brands such as Asda, Tesco, O2, Eurotunnel and Eversheds.You can find a CRC resource at http://www.edie.net/ms/crc/index.asp?channel=0[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]