As we try to tackle the more difficult sectors with respect to carbon emissions reduction and, in particular, as offsetting and carbon sequestration loom even larger in accounting for carbon there are good arguments for an economy-wide body to oversee the numbers. This is the thesis of a new report from Energy Systems Catapult. I agree that there is an urgent need for consistency in carbon accounting and robustness in assessing offsetting and sequestration to avoid double counting and greenwash.
The Catapult posits three possible forms for the body but two of them involve other bodies undertaking part of the required tasks - the CCC or EA covering measurement and reporting, for instance; or sector-specific government departments carrying some of the load. These options, the latter in particular, seem to me to be recipes for muddle, infighting and confusion. One model is for an entirely independent body coving all sectors and all policies (much as in California's setup). This seem like the best bet to me.
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