Greater London Authority Bill

We are happyto consider carefully the principle behind this amendment and to explore a range of options to address the issues it raises. To mitigate climate change, we will need to reduce emissions from the full rangeof greenhouse gases, as the noble Baroness has highlighted. Similarly, as one of the primary purposes of his London climate change mitigation and energy strategy is to contribute to national efforts to mitigate climate change, we would expect the Mayor to consider opportunities to take action across the full range of greenhouse gases, but I recognise that this may not be clear enough. I am therefore very grateful to the noble Baroness for raising this issue. The amendments as proposed may not be the best way to ensure that the Mayor considers a range of opportunities for action across a range of greenhouse gases. In new Section 361B(3) we have deliberately not set out all the sectors and gases that the Mayor could address. The Mayor will not have the resources to do everything. He will need to prioritise. The short list in the Bill includes only the small number of areas where we think it is vital that all Mayors take action, now and in future, as a bare minimum. Beyond this it is right that the Mayor decides for himself which sectors and gases he wants to prioritise. In the short list at new Section 361B(3), we have included energy use from surface transport and energy use more generally because these represent areas where we know the Mayor has important opportunities to act. We have focused on carbon dioxide emissions specifically because this is the most important greenhouse gas from energy use. So it probably still makes sense to ensure that the Mayor, as a bare minimum, takes action to address emissions of carbon dioxide from these sources. The practical effect of requiring the Mayor also to address other greenhouse gases from surface transport and wider energy use may be small. As carbon dioxide will still be specifically identified, the Mayor will still have to focus on carbon dioxide in these areas, while considering opportunities to address emissions of other greenhouse gases in more general terms. Since addressing carbon dioxide from these sources will involve reducing absolute emissions from tailpipes, boilers and power stations, it may be sufficient for the Mayor to meet his obligation simply by indicating that action here will also likely result in reductions in other greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide from transport. As I say, the noble Baroness has raised a very important point and, if she withdraws her amendments, we will commit to go away and consider a range of options for addressing her concerns.