Councils need more details on the Government's plans for carbon trading, the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) has claimed. Otherwise, the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme launched last month will mean councils may be unable to budget and plan for carbon cutting accordingly. Earlier this month, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced the mandatory scheme, which will cover around 5,000 public and private sector bodies – including councils. Gemma Roberts, a policy analyst at LGIU's centre for local sustainability, said councils required clarity. ‘Local authorities will need to start planning their 2009-10 budgets this autumn and need to know what to set aside for CRC.'
