Channel urged to get on board with CRC

Environment Agency warns UK plc it has less than 50 days to register for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme

Carbon reduction: The legislation is designed to improve the energy efficiency of UK plc

The Environment Agency (EA) is reminding UK datacentre operators that they have until 31 September to sign up to the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme.

The legislation, which came into force on 1 April, requires firms to buy allowances for their annual carbon emissions. Charges are capped at £12 per tonne and the worst offenders will be “named and shamed” in an energy-efficiency league table.

According to the EA, more than 1,200 UK organisations have signed up for the scheme, which is less than half the number that need to.

Those that fail to register in time could face fines of £5,000, and be charged £500 for every day they fail to act for up to 80 days.

The controversial legislation has been criticised by the channel because of fears it could lead to an increase in datacentre off-shoring and impact on datacentre resellers' margins.

Tony Grayling, head of climate change and sustainable development at the EA, said: “Around a third of organisations that we expect to register for the CRC scheme have registered well in advance of the deadline.

“We would urge the remaining businesses to sign up now, and not leave registration to the last minute. Our dedicated CRC helpdesk is available to help businesses through the registrations process.”