The Climate Change Bill has received Royal Assent, a decision that paves the way for the introduction of pilot waste incentive schemes and the powers that could force retailers to charge customers for using single-use carrier bags.

The Bill was given Royal Assent last night (November 27), alongside the Planning Bill, and the two pieces of legislation will now be known as the Climate Change Act 2008 and Planning Act 2008 respectively.

The Climate Change Bill received Royal Assent yesterday alongside the Planning Bill and the Energy Bill

With the passing of the Climate Change Bill, councils now have eight weeks to submit final proposals to be one of up to five local authorities who will run a pilot financial incentive scheme for recycling (see letsrecycle.com story).

And, under an amendment to the Bill that was approved by the House of Lords just last week (see letsrecycle.com story), the government will now have the powers to force retailers to introduce a compulsory levy on their customers' use of single-use carrier bags.

The Climate Change Bill also legally commits the UK to meet its 80% carbon reduction target by 2050, while the Energy Bill was also passed last night - which includes a 'feed-in' tariff for small scale renewable energy projects and "strengthens" the Renewables Obligation.

Commenting on all three pieces of legislation, energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said: "The UK is the first country in the world to introduce a legally-binding framework for to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Setting the 80% target was the easy part: now the work really begins."

"The Energy and Planning Acts will be instrumental in reducing carbon emissions, removing barriers to enable industry to invest in important new infrastructure, and giving individuals and communities the incentive to use energy more efficiently and generate their own heat and energy," he added.

Planning Bill

The Planning Bill aims to 'streamline' the planning system and create a new high-level Infrastructure Planning Commission to take the role the Secretary of State currently has in making decisions on major infrastructure planning applications, such as large waste facilities and energy plants producing above 50MW.

However, the Bill has been attacked by the Environmental Services Association as "broadly irrelevant" to the waste management sector, and they have warned that it could add "complexity, confusion and delay" to the planning system (see letsrecycle.com story).

And, the legislation was criticised by Friends of the Earth's planning campaigner, Dr Hugh Ellis, who said: "These decisions will be taken by an unelected, undemocratic body which excludes people from the planning process and could lead to an increase in the type of direct action we saw during the 1980's road protests."