§ Mr. Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have for pilot projects in relation to United Kingdom carbon emission permits following the Kyoto conference. [26692]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Kyoto Protocol allows developed countries to trade permits for greenhouse gas emissions. Rules will be agreed by the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention, the next meeting of which is in November 1998. The Government are working hard to ensure that emissions trading could be used constructively to achieve cost effective emission reductions consistent with the environmental objectives of the Kyoto agreement.
The Government will be consulting on UK participation in emissions trading as part of their wider consultation later this year on measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.