In this paper – one of a series of climate change guides from KPMG – we discuss some of the possible causes and consequences of the scheme’s evolution and the implications on the estimated 14,000 organisations originally affected by it. This is based on our analysis of legislation during the last four years, and our experience of educating the boards of nearly 400 clients and working directly with more than 60 scheme participants to help them ensure they comply and perform in the scheme.

This guide replaces our earlier publication “Step by Step” which has been widely circulated by organisations seeking to share knowledge on the scheme in simple and sensible terms. There have been material changes in the scheme over the last 12 months and we wanted to provide a clear guide to t he scheme in its current form.