New carbon laws 'may not recognise past improvement'
12 Mar 2010
An environmental expert has expressed his worry that the new carbon emissions laws could hurt firms which have already curbed their energy use.
Paul Hayes, environmental engineer at diesel engine makers Cummins, told the nebusiness.co.uk that his company has worked for the past four years to reduce its carbon footprint, but fears this will be not recognised in the Carbon Reduction Commitment's Energy Efficiency Scheme.
The initiative, which comes into force in April, is applied to firms and public sector organisations that spend more than £500,000 a year on energy, but will not take into account steps taken by businesses before its introduction.
Mr Hayes told the news provider: "If you've already achieved a lot of energy savings, it becomes harder and harder to improve. We've raised this concern with government."
A spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Climate Change added that the scheme will measure performance in a range of ways and will provide a financial incentive for firms to introduce energy efficient offices, such as a waste reduction policy or green office management.
The Energy Efficiency Scheme is considered a key element of the UK meeting the commitments set out in the Climate Change Act 2008.
