Climate Change Act 2008

26 Carbon units and carbon accounting

(1) In this Part a “carbon unit” means a unit of a kind specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State and representing—

(a) a reduction in an amount of greenhouse gas emissions,

(b) the removal of an amount of greenhouse gas from the atmosphere, or

(c) an amount of greenhouse gas emissions allowed under a scheme or arrangement imposing a limit on such emissions.

(2) The Secretary of State may make provision by regulations for a scheme—

(a) for registering or otherwise keeping track of carbon units, or

(b) for establishing and maintaining accounts in which carbon units may be held, and between which they may be transferred, by the Secretary of State.

The regulations may, in particular, provide for an existing scheme to be adapted for these purposes.

(3) The regulations may make provision—

(a) appointing a body to administer the scheme;

(b) establishing a body for that purpose and making such provision in relation to the appointment of members, staffing, expenditure, procedure and otherwise as the Secretary of State considers appropriate;

(c) conferring power on the Secretary of State to give guidance or directions to the body administering the scheme;

(d) conferring power on the Secretary of State to delegate the performance of any of the functions conferred or imposed on the Secretary of State by the regulations;

(e) requiring the payment by persons using the scheme of charges (of an amount determined by or under the regulations) towards the cost of operating it.

(4) If an existing body is appointed to administer the scheme, the regulations may make such modifications of any enactment relating to that body as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.