THE government’s draft law to tackle climate change is “not fit for purpose” and contains “glaring oversights,” according to a cross-party group of MPs tasked with scrutinising the Environment Bill.

If passed, the law will give ministers until 2037 to meet carbon reduction targets — which Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee said today is “too little too late.”

The group, led by Labour’s Mary Creagh, is also concerned that the planned Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will lack independence and be vulnerable to political interference.

In a letter to Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers, Ms Creagh wrote: “Our main concern with the draft Bill was the independence of the OEP and its ability to scrutinise government performance on the environment effectively.

“We appreciate that some measures have been taken to enhance its independence … however we are still concerned that the chair and its members will be chosen by the Secretary of State and accountable to them.”

Turning to proposed time frames set out in the Bill, Ms Creagh said: “While we welcome the framework for target setting, we are disappointed that the targets will not be in place until October 2022 and there will be no requirement to meet them until 2037 since the interim targets are not legally binding. 

“We appreciate the need for consultation, but this is a needlessly long timeframe.”

Extinction Rebellion is calling for the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and delegates at the Labour Party’s conference in September voted for net zero by 2030.