{UK} Government promises carbon cuts (BBC)

By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

The UK government has thrown down a challenge to its EU allies by promising to cut, by 2012, carbon emissions from big business by 12.5% on last year's levels.

That will mean the UK will achieve almost double its targets under the Kyoto Protocol, and bring it closer to its self-imposed target of a 20% cut in CO2 by 2010.

The surprise announcement comes the day after the French and German governments announced comparatively lax targets. Based on last year's figures, the Germans will cut emissions by just 0.6%.

The UK Environment Minister David Miliband said he had already spoken to the European Commission to make sure that EU neighbours imposed the strictest possible cuts.
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{Tony Blair} is also concerned that the Conservative leader David Cameron has taken a clear lead in the polls on green issues. Today's announcement is expected to regain some of the government's credibility on domestic climate policy.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5130806.stm