MPs launch inquiry into carbon emissions

News Article - 21 April 2008
Category: Environment

A new inquiry has been launched by an influential committee of MPs into carbonemissions from businesses in the UK.

The inquiry by MPs will examine ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from offices, factories and shops in Britain.

Britain currently has no targets in place to limit CO2 emissions from commercial buildings and concerns have been raised that more needs to be done by companies to improve their carbon footprints, though incentives are in place to encourage firms to embrace environmentally-friendly policies.

The All Party Urban Development Group is calling for submissions from stakeholders and will be ready to report to government by the summer, according to the BBC.

Labour MP Clive Betts, chairman of the group, stated that the inquiry would help look at the way that "cities can work with property owners and their occupiers to help 'green' commercial buildings".

All commercial buildings in England and Wales will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate and display it prominently from October this year.

Companies looking to cut their carbon emissions in order to control costs and boost their green credentials should invest in carbonaccounting software.

Article keywords: The majority of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK do not think that the audit process raises useful recommendations or suggestions, a study has shown.<br/><br/>Research conducted by KPMG found that 47 per cent of respondents occasionally or never meet with their auditor outside of he audit season, although two-thirds of those questioned said they recognised the strong link between the strength of their relationship with the auditor and the value they take away from it.<br/><br/>&quot;A strong and open relationship between a company and its auditor is vital if the audit is to produce the sort of far-reaching benefits it is capable of producing, &quot; said Richard Bennison, head of audit at KPMG.<br/><br/>Mr Bennison added that the study showed two distinct groups of the middle market - those who are gaining some value from their audit and those who are not.<br/><br/>Despite the statistics, auditors were seen to be performing well in their jobs, with 70 per cent of businesses feeling that their auditor is willing to challenge them on why their financial information is presented and interpreted.<br/><br/>The Herald reports that under UK law, companies with a turnover of less than &#163;5.6 million are exempt from carrying out an audit.<br/>

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