The UK Government is increasing the country’s climate ambitions through new proposals published today showing how a new UK-wide Emissions Trading System (ETS) would work – putting a cost on carbon pollution to encourage polluters to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit.

The system – designed by the UK Government jointly with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive – would be a crucial step towards achieving the UK’s target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It includes plans to reduce the existing emissions cap by five per cent, going further than the current EU system.

The new scheme would replace the EU Emissions Trading System, which the UK will leave at the end of this year as the transition period ends. The system draws on the best of the current system that the UK helped to develop while ensuring it has greater flexibility to work in the best interests of the UK.

Once a new system is up and running the government intends to go even further by amending the cap again in line with its net zero target.

Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng:

The UK is a world-leader in tackling climate change, and thanks to the opportunities arising as we exit the transition period, we are now able to go even further, faster.

This new scheme will provide a smooth transition for businesses while reducing our contribution to climate change, crucial as we work towards net zero emissions by 2050.

Elements of the new Emissions Trading System will be familiar to operators and is designed to ensure a seamless transition at the end of the year.

Emissions trading systems work by setting a cap on the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted from certain sectors – in the UK’s case by energy intensive industries such as steel, the power generation sector and aviation. The cap is reduced over time so that total emissions fall.

After each year, every covered company must surrender enough carbon allowances – each representing tonnes of carbon dioxide – to cover all its emissions, or additional fines of up to £100 per allowance are imposed. Carbon allowances can be bought at auction and traded, and these markets determine their cost (the ‘carbon price’).

Around a third of UK emissions and around 1,000 UK factories and plants are currently covered by the EU ETS and will continue to be covered by the UK system.

The approach to free allocation of allowances under the new system will be consistent with what operators will expected under the EU ETS.

The UK would be open to considering a link between a UK ETS and the EU ETS, if it suits both sides’ interests. This is subject to the ongoing trade negotiations between the UK and EU. In any event, the UK has robust domestic carbon pricing options including these emissions trading system proposals, or a Carbon Emissions Tax.

It’s all systems go for A63 Castle Street scheme, which will create a much better connection between the city centre and the retail and docks area. This will support the city’s economic growth, improving journeys to and from the centre, and will help the Port of Hull to thrive.

Following the green light from the Transport Secretary, Highways England can now set up a site compound and start work on the ground.

Highways England senior project manager James Leeming said:

This is fantastic news for Hull. We are delighted that the decision has been signed off, and we can now look forward to delivering improvements that will genuinely transform the city.

These changes will make life considerably easier for road users and pedestrians. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported our plans, and I’m sure they share our delight in hearing the news we’ve been waiting for.

The major Highways England project, which is a key scheme in Transport for the North’s strategic transport plan, will see the creation of a new junction by lowering the level of the A63 at the Mytongate junction.

Ferensway and Commercial Road will cross the A63, creating a split-level junction. The eastbound carriageway between Princes Dock Street and Market Place will be widened to three lanes, and a new bridge built over the A63 at Porter Street.

Meanwhile the city’s new bridge also funded by Highways England with a £4m contribution from Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which is to be named after Hull’s first female GP Dr Mary Murdoch, will be unveiled this summer. It will connect the city centre to the marina, waterfront and fruit market. The structure is to cross the dual carriageway of the A63, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross the road. It will also ease congestion on the A63.

The structure is being part funded with a £4m contribution from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership’s local growth fund programme, secured through its growth deals with Government and part of the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse.

Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic regeneration and planning at Hull City Council said:

We are thrilled to see this long-awaited projecting finally given the green light. Over the past twenty years the council has worked tirelessly alongside Highways England, our colleagues in the LEP and our local MPs to lobby for this essential upgrade and to ensure this scheme is high on the agenda for the Department for Transport.

We are pleased that the Government has finally recognised how crucial the upgrade to the A63 is, providing a key component of the city’s transport infrastructure improvement and wider long-term regeneration plans.

The council is also working closely with Highways England and Balfour Beatty on what we hope is just the first of many employment opportunities that will become available for local people in the city.

Now we’ve been given the full go ahead for this significant transport scheme to progress, it is time for the real work to begin.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The £4.9 million scheme will see each officer working in youth custody become a Youth Justice Specialist after completing degree-level training. 

This gives officers a greater understanding of child and adolescent development and is helping them to tailor their approach to each child’s needs.

Specialist insight means officers are providing better support and giving children more chance of changing their lives for the better.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer said:

The number of children in custody has halved in the last 7 years thanks to better early intervention.

Those entering youth custody now have committed the most serious crimes, often have horrendous histories of suffering abuse and exploitation themselves, and can be extremely challenging to work with.

This extra training ensures officers can better help children overcome these problems and go on to become law-abiding adults – breaking the cycle of re-offending for future generations.

The Youth Custody Service was recently praised by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for adapting to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements. Young Offender Institutes were found to have responded swiftly to contain the spread of the virus and keep children and staff safe.

Officers who have qualified as specialists have used their training to support children in custody in these challenging circumstances. 

Nicola Wynne, a prison officer at Feltham Young Offender Institute and one of the first officers to complete the foundation degree, said:

Completing the degree has given me so much confidence. I feel it has helped me to better understand the boys’ behaviour.

We don’t want to see young people returning to custody so the more we can do to address their offending while they are with us, the better.

We expected it to be especially challenging to engage the boys during the pandemic but the way they have accepted the restrictions is astounding. I believe the methods and knowledge from the degree have helped massively.

The Foundation Degree in Youth Justice which underpins the specialist role is delivered by Unitas and accredited by the University of Suffolk.

Officers must complete the first two modules to qualify, covering: understanding the needs of children, child and adolescent development, safeguarding, risk of harm assessments and reoffending.

Staff can then decide whether to complete the remaining two modules of the foundation degree which cover: how to effectively engage with young people while addressing the underlying factors which contribute to offending, and resettlement from custody back into the community.

The Youth Custody Service has increased staffing by a third in 3 years, with 289 more frontline personnel than December 2016.

Acting in her role as guardian of the public interest, the Attorney General Suella Braverman QC MP has extended the undertaking she granted to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

In broad terms, the extension to the undertaking means legal persons cannot refuse to answer questions on the basis that to do so would risk self-incrimination, which is a right granted to them in law. It also means that their answers cannot be used in evidence in any future prosecution against them. However, the undertaking does not provide any form of immunity from prosecution to any person whatsoever.

A legal person is an entity which, like an individual person, has its own legal obligations and rights. Examples of what can amount to a legal person include a limited liability partnership or an incorporated company.

In making the decision, the Attorney General took into consideration all representations received including those from victims and their representatives, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police. She has since concluded that extending the undertaking will not jeopardise the police investigation or the prospects of a future criminal prosecution.

The Attorney General believes that the undertaking is needed to enable the Inquiry to continue to hear vital evidence about the circumstances and causes of the fire. Without it she has concluded that some witnesses would be likely to decline giving evidence.

Commenting on her decision, the Attorney General said:

“The bereaved, survivors and their relatives have been very much in my mind in making my decision and I hope that the extension to the undertaking helps them to find the truth about the circumstances of the fire.

It is important to know that I am granting the extension in the knowledge that it will not jeopardise any future criminal investigation or prosecution and that it does not offer anyone immunity from prosecution.”

A factsheet on the undertaking is attached. Factsheet on Undertaking Extension provided by the Attorney General (PDF, 357KB, 2 pages)