My Lords, there is a lot to unpick in that rather meaty debate. I applaud all noble Lords for their contributions. They will have bear with me, as I will no doubt lose my place a few times and will not be able to read my own writing.
The first group of amendments I shall explore, and try to reply to, concerns planning, development and environment. Amendment 214 in the name of my noble friend Lord Lansley, Amendments 226 and 270 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, with related Amendments 270A and 270B in the name of noble Earl, Lord Caithness, Amendment 309 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, and Amendment 312C in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Stevenage, all have very similar intentions.
I want to reassure noble Lords that the Government recognise that the planning system must address the challenges of climate change. Through the Climate Change Act 2008, the Government have committed to reduce net emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels by 2050. The right reverend Prelate outlined the Church’s ambition to achieve net zero in its buildings by 2030. I applaud those ambitions and would certainly welcome a meeting between Ministers and his group.
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In addition, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 sets out that local planning authorities must design their local plans to secure that the use and development of land in their area contribute to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. This is restated in the Bill, and is found in new Section 15C of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, as inserted by Schedule 7 to this Bill.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that local planning authorities should plan in line with the objectives and provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008. The framework must, as a matter of law, be taken into account in preparing the development plan, and is a material consideration in planning decisions. The NPPF climate risks, in paragraphs 153 and 154, apply to all adaptation matters, including wildfire. The national policy highlights the risks arising from climate change that need to be addressed, including overheating, which was added in 2018. That is another matter that we will consider again through the forthcoming review of the NPPF.
As mentioned in response to Amendments 179, 179A and 271 in the debate on the purpose of planning on 22 March, we recognise that more can be achieved, which is why the Government recently consulted on immediate changes to the framework relating to renewable energy, as well as seeking views on carbon assessments and other changes that could strengthen their role in this vital area. A full review of the framework, taking the responses to this consultation into account, will take place following Royal Assent and will address adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.
The noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, asked what the National Planning Policy Framework would say on health and well-being. It already covers policy on how to plan for sustainable transport facilities and services, including open-space, healthy and safe places and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places, ensuring an integrated approach to considering the location of housing, economic uses, community facilities and services.
All these amendments aim to achieve very similar intentions to those of the previous amendments, Amendments 179, 179A and 271, related to the purpose of planning.
The noble Lord, Lord Teverson, and the noble Baroness, Lady Young of Old Scone, were particularly concerned with what the Government were doing to help local authorities and developers adapt to climate change. The Government recognise the importance of central and local government collaboration effectively to adapt to climate impacts, and are working closely with local partners. Defra, the Local Government Association and local partnerships have developed the local partnerships adaptation toolkit, and Defra co-ordinates the Local Adaptation Advisory Panel, a forum for dialogue on adaptation between central and local government, which includes 15 local authorities and seven UK government departments. The panel has also produced good practice guidance to support local authorities. The Government will set out how they intend to work with local partners to deliver the UK’s third national adaptation programme when it is published this summer.
The Government do not feel that they can support this group of amendments, for the reasons outlined.