The government has today started the final round of consultation on the UK’s mandatory emissions trading scheme that is set to launch next April.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change today opened its third consultation on the Carbon Reduction Commitment. The consultation is set to run until June, with responses to be received by Thursday 4th June, and is the last chance for industry to have its say on the emissions trading plan.

The government has held two previous consultations on draft CRC plans in 2006 and 2007. The commitment will be mandatory for businesses that spent more than £1m a year on electricity – or 6,000 megawatt hours – on meters that record consumption every half hour in 2008.

There is likely to be 5,000 participants in the scheme and they will be ranked in a league table.