This Order sets a limit of the net amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net UK carbon account for the 2013-2017 budgetary period of 55,000,000 carbon units. Article 3(2) sets out certain carbon units which are excluded from the level of the limit. They are carbon units credited to and debited from the net UK carbon account as a result of the operation of the EU emissions trading scheme during the 2013-2017 budgetary period in accordance with regulations made under section 27(3) of the Climate Change Act 2008. Carbon units are defined in regulation 3 of the Carbon Accounting Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1257).

A full impact assessment of the costs and benefits of this instrument is available at the website of the Department of Energy and Climate Change: www.decc.gov.uk., and it is also published alongside the instrument and its Explanatory Memorandum on the legislation website of The National Archives (http://www.legislation.gov.uk).