Big business calls for tough carbon emission reports

THE UK government should force large companies to provide annual information on their carbon emissions in addition to reporting profits and executive pay, an alliance of businesses and environmental groups said.

Companies including PepsiCo, Microsoft and Marks & Spencer, working together as the Aldersgate Group, called for plans to enforce carbon emissions reporting requirements.

Business accounts for nearly a third of Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the introduction of mandatory reporting would encourage companies to better manage and reduce their carbon footprints, the alliance said yesterday.

Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK government is required to propose regulation on emissions reporting to help Britain achieve its climate objectives or to explain to Parliament why no such regulation has been made.

The government missed a 6 April deadline to take a decision, however, saying it needed more time to assess how to proceed after receiving more than 2,000 replies to a public consultation.