Section 43: The London climate change mitigation and energy strategy
105.Section 43 amends the GLA Act 1999 so as to require the Mayor to prepare a London climate change mitigation and energy strategy, which will contain proposals for the contribution to be made in Greater London towards the mitigation of climate change and the achievement of objectives in national policies relating to energy. The strategy must contain proposals setting out how the Mayor will:
minimise the emissions of carbon dioxide, and any significant greenhouse substances which the Mayor considers it appropriate to address, from the use of energy in Greater London for the purposes of surface transport and the use of energy more broadly;
support innovation and encourage investment in energy technologies; and
promote the efficient production and use of energy in Greater London.
106.The strategy will also contain information about fuel poverty in Greater London and emission levels in, or attributable to, Greater London. In addition, the strategy must not be inconsistent with national policies on climate change mitigation, or national policies on energy.
107.The section gives the Secretary of State a limited power to direct the Mayor to change the London climate change mitigation and energy strategy. The Secretary of State will only be able to use this power where the strategy would be inconsistent with national policies on energy or climate change, and the inconsistency would have a detrimental effect on achieving any or all of the objectives of those national policies. The Secretary of State must consult the Mayor before using this power of direction.
108.The London climate change mitigation and energy strategy will be subject to sections 41 to 44 of the GLA Act 1999, which make general provision for the preparation and publication of the Mayor’s strategies. These include provisions on timing, the need to have regard to available resources and the persons to be consulted by the Mayor.
109.In addition to the statutory consultees listed in section 42 of the GLA Act 1999, the Mayor must also consult the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council as well as certain holders of gas and electricity licences. If there ceases to be a body known as the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority or the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council, the Mayor must consult with such other appropriate body as the Secretary of State prescribes by order, which would be set out in an Order made under the strategy provision .
