Moorlands MP, Karen Bradley’s Company Transparency (Carbon in Supply Chains) Bill, which would require companies to prepare an annual statement on carbon in their supply chains, began its Second Reading in Parliament last week.
Karen believes that the Bill is a simple measure that would provide transparency to the public about what companies are doing to tackle carbon in supply chains.
It very much mirrors a measure that she introduced as the Minister responsible for tackling modern slavery and organised crime in the Modern Slavery Bill—now the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to make sure that companies took seriously the issue of human trafficking and modern slavery in supply chains.
Karen said,
“I was thinking about what I could do usefully to assist the Government in dealing with carbon, because it is very easy for businesses to manufacture goods overseas, where climate change laws may not be as stringent as in the UK. This is damaging to UK manufacturers and means that us, as consumers, do not know the full environmental impact of what we buy.
“It is absolutely right that this country was the first to legislate for net zero by 2050. That is fantastic, and this country should be incredibly proud of it. We are also hosting COP26, next year, which again gives the UK an opportunity to show global leadership. The Prime Minister, in his recent address to the United Nations, said:
‘we have a responsibility to our planet to lead in this way and to do this’.
“My Bill is a simple measure. It would allow us to shine a light through supply chains and see what carbon was emitted in the making of the goods that we buy.”
Due to time restrictions the Debate will resume on 15th January 2021.
