CRC scheme 'not helping reduction in carbon emissions'

Environmental legislation has been criticised for not encouraging companies to reduce their carbon emissions, according to one expert

A spokesman for the Centre for Alternative Technology stated that the government's CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, launched in April 2010, allowed organisations to buy carbon credits in place of reducing their emissions.

The initiative requires large businesses to register with the Environment Agency by the end of September in an attempt to reduce the effects of climate change by improving energy efficiency within their organisations.

However, the spokesman said that it will not be effective as it allowed "originations to 'dump' their emissions elsewhere" and "buy their way out of making real cuts in emissions".

He added that businesses would be able to "outsource energy intensive bits of their business" to other countries, which are not obliged by the initiative.

Therefore, the representative concluded that it is likely to lead to little or no reduction in carbon emissions.

Posted by Claire Manning