UK: Climate Change Bill receives Second Reading in the Commons

[Update (28 November): see here]. The Climate Change Bill received its Second Reading in the House of Commons yesterday and will now proceed to the Committee stage, where individual clauses will be considered. The Second Reading provided the opportunity for general debate (that is its purpose) and several comments were made concerning companies' environmental reporting and Clause 80 of the Bill (see this earlier post for further background information). It is not clear whether the Government intends to retain Clause 80. The Government minister (Joan Ruddock MP) introducing the Bill observed (HC Hansard, 9 Jun, col 124):

The Companies Act 2006 provides for reporting on environmental issues by listed companies, but it is too early to say how well they are reporting and what they are reporting on. When Lord Rooker accepted the amendment [clause 80] in the House of Lords, he said that the Government would have to consider the matter further, and that is what we will do"