London: Britain's independent Climate Change Committee is encouraging Australia to pass its own Climate Change Act to legislate carbon reduction targets, pointing to the support received by the business community when the UK took the step in 2008. The committee was established by that legislation, which was the first in the world to legally require a government to meet its emissions reductions targets. The law was passed by the then Labour government led by Gordon Brown with overwhelming cross-party support in Parliament. Independent Member for Warringah, Zali Steggall started a parliamentary inquiry into whether Australia should also legislate its carbon goals. Independent Member for Warringah, Zali Steggall started a parliamentary inquiry into whether Australia should also legislate its carbon goals.CREDIT:CHRISTOPHER PEARCE It compelled the UK to cut emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 compared to its carbon output in 1990. But last year, the government led by former conservative prime minister Theresa May went a step further, becoming the first country to legislate a net-zero target by 2050. The independent Member for Warringah, Zali Steggall, successfully sought a parliamentary inquiry into whether Australia should also legislate its carbon goals to end a decade-long climate change tussle. British Labour demands Boris Johnson blacklist Cormann's OECD bid over climate record Steggall has introduced into the House of Representatives a bill that mimics the UK's. It was rejected by Prime Minister Scott Morrison who has increased the government's reduction targets to net-zero even as he refuses to specify when they will become effective, committing only to a time frame of "as soon as possible". The British committee's chief economist Mike Thompson wrote to Steggall's inquiry and endorsed Australia adopting a UK-style legislation, saying it was the reason for Britain's progress in bringing down its carbon emissions by 45.2 per cent on 1990 levels as of last year. "Over-arching climate legislation such as the proposed Climate Change Bill and the UK’s Climate Change Act can provide the frameworks for meeting those targets at the least cost, while adapting to the further climate impacts that cannot be avoided," Thompson said.