The central premise of the Climate Change Act is that the Government of the day holds the responsibility to act to protect future generations. This principle is at risk if the priority given to climate policy is not substantially increased over the next year and the next Government spending review.

The original version, published in 2008, said that

It is the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline.

This target has now been revised to be net carbon neutral by 2050.

In 2008 there was a Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. The Department of Energy and Climate Change has now been absorbed into the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The Act created the Committee on Climate Change.