Guidance

Climate change agreements: operations manual

This manual is a guide for industry sector associations and operators of a climate change agreement (CCA).

From:

Environment Agency

Published:

21 August 2013

Last updated:

19 October 2026

Show all updates

19 October 2026
Added a newer version of the CCA Operations Manual which contains updates following the launch of the new CCA scheme in January 2026. Updated chapters reflect the new scheme rules, including the new target methodology and the change to facility level reporting. Added new sections on the new reporting requirements, our approach to compliance through eligibility reviews and further details on non-compliance introduced through the legislation. Removed sections where they are no longer relevant for the new scheme. Renamed the Operations Manual for previous CCA scheme years to 'Climate Change Agreements Operations Manual (Target Periods 1 to 6)'. Removed the following tools from the previous CCA scheme years: Absolute Energy Reporting Template – LIT 10089, Relative Energy Reporting Template – LIT 10090, Novem Carbon Reporting Template – LIT 10091, Novem Energy Reporting Template – LIT 10092, Supply Disruption plant shutdown (CHP example) – LIT 10085, Supply Disruption plant shutdown (non-CHP example) – LIT 10084, Fall in throughput for absolute target unit (Example method 1) – LIT 10087, Fall in throughput for absolute target unit (Example method 2) – LIT 10088. Added a new consolidated target reporting template to replace the previous 4 reporting templates.
25 February 2022
Updated the operations manual document to reflect changes resulting from the introduction of the Target Period 5 extension of the existing scheme. Removed detail and worked examples that were out of date, plus some diagrams and tables. Improved the accessibility of the manual document and added an alternative format.
23 January 2019
The Climate Change Agreement scheme closed to new entrant facilities from 1 November 2018.
12 June 2017
Increase in fees added to the Climate Change Agreements operations manual. The Target calculator work book tool has been split in to two separate tools. The Target calculator OM DATC (LIT 10660) is for use by the Data centres sector. The Target calculator work book tool (LIT 10506) is for use by other sectors. Both target calculators now include a stringency test tab.
20 October 2016
Removed all out of date calculation spreadsheets.
22 September 2016
The Climate Change Agreements Operations Manual has been updated to contain information about the Target Calculator toolkit.
22 September 2016
A target calculator workbook tool (LIT 10506) has been added to support the Climate change agreements operation manual (LIT 7911).
4 February 2015
Section 3.3.2 - Text revision to clarify rule regarding site boundary and off-site DAA. Section 4.4.4 - Text revision adding information for determining a Novem baseline. Section 6.1.1 - Text revision to expand detail on facility eligibility information requirements. Section 7.5.1 - Text revision to clarify baseline reconstruction requirements. Section 7.6, 7.7 and 7.8 - Text revisions to add new variation types Section 8.1 - Text revision to add reference to enforcement and sanctions guidance. Section 8.4 - Text revision to add information on the appeals process. Section 9.3.3 – Text revision to add information on what we look for in a CCA facility audit Section 9.3.4 – Text revision to add information on what we look for in a CCA sector audit Section 10 - Text revision to update reporting guidance chapter. Glossary - Text revisions to add new terms related to above updates. Appendix I - Addition of spreadsheet tools for reporting, reconstructing the baseline and reporting variation target calculators Appendix J - New appendix on the reporting workbook
3 September 2014
Section 1 - Text revision relating to presentation and small amendments to the text. Section 2 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to 2.2 (CCA register) and 2.4.2 (changes to eligibility) Section 3 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to sections 3.1.3 (green electricity), 3.1.9 (liquid nitrogen), 3.1.10 (accounting for transport fuel), Figure 3.3 amended, 3.4 (CRC) and 3.5 (meter failures). Section 4 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to sections 4.2.2 (target unit targets), 4.3 (greenfield/brownfield sites), 4.4.4 (Novem target) and 4.5 (how to structure a target) Section 5 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to sections 5.1.3 (paying the charges) and 5.3 (non payment) Section 6 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to section 6.2 (email assent) Section 7 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to sections 7.1 (operator changes), 7.1.2 (amending the target), 7.5.1 (structural change), 7.7.4 (12 month base period) and 7.7.5 (changing sector). Section 8 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections. Section 9 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to sections 9.1 (what is a CCA audit), 9.2.3 (joint audits), 9.3 (how we carry out audits), 9.4 (audit outcomes). Section 10 - Text revision relating to presentation. Additional text added to all sections in particular to sections 10.1.4 (reporting requirements), 10.2 (buy-out), 10.3 (decertification), 10.4 (calculating performance). Appendix A to I - Text revision relating to presentation. Appendix A - Eligible processes added. Appendix B - Additional calculations added. Appendix C - Added register user guide Appendix E - Additional example added. Appendix G - Appendix added. Appendix I - All previous spreadsheet tools consolidated into one appendix.
21 August 2013
First published.