Greater London Authority Act 2007

42 Duty of Mayor and Assembly to address climate change

In Part 9 of the GLA Act 1999 (environmental functions) after section 361 insert—

“Climate change, energy etc

361A Duties of Mayor and Assembly with respect to climate change

(1) The Mayor and the Assembly are each under a duty to address climate change, so far as relating to Greater London.

(2) In the case of the Mayor, the duty consists of each of the following—

(a) to take action with a view to mitigation of, or adaptation to, climate change (see subsections (5) and (6) below),

(b) in exercising any of his functions under this Act or any other Act (whenever passed), to take into account any policies announced by Her Majesty’s government with respect to climate change or the consequences of climate change,

(c) to have regard to any guidance, and comply with any directions, issued to the Authority by the Secretary of State with respect to the means by which, or manner in which, the Mayor is to perform the duties imposed on him by paragraph (a) or (b) above.

(3) In the case of the Assembly, the duty consists of each of the following—

(a) in exercising any functions of the Assembly under this Act or any other Act (whenever passed), to take into account any policies announced by Her Majesty’s government with respect to climate change or the consequences of climate change,

(b) to have regard to any guidance, and comply with any directions, issued to the Authority by the Secretary of State with respect to the means by which, or manner in which, the Assembly is to perform the duties imposed by paragraph (a) above.

(4) Any reference in this section to functions of the Mayor, or functions of the Assembly, includes a reference to functions exercisable by the Mayor and the Assembly acting jointly on behalf of the Authority.

(5) For the purposes of this section—

(a) “climate change” means changes in climate which are, or which might reasonably be thought to be, the result of human activity altering the composition of the global atmosphere and which are in addition to natural climate variability; and

(b) “changes in climate” includes a reference to changes in climate which are reasonably expected, or might reasonably be expected, to happen or which are reasonably thought to be happening or to have recently happened.

(6) In this section—

• “adaptation”, in relation to climate change, means preparation for, or adjustment in response to, any consequences of climate change appearing to the Mayor to affect Greater London;

• “consequences”, in relation to climate change—

  (a)

  means consequences which have occurred, are occurring or might reasonably be expected to occur, and

  (b)

  includes any phenomena reasonably thought to be consequences of climate change;

• “mitigation”, in relation to climate change, includes prevention.”.