Political Parties Set for War Over Climate Change

Britain's major political forces are set to go to battle over the 'green agenda', as Chancellor Gordon Brown, and Conservative leader David Cameron prepare to deliver keynote speeches on climate change.

|PIC1|It is believed that Cameron will call on the government to set annual emissions targets. However, the Conservative Party, known to be very sceptical of Britain's Euro agenda, are likely to be attacked by Brown for being unable to tackle the green issue in the European Union.

Brown, who will deliver his speech in London, will look to highlight the government's role in helping set new EU Carbon emissions standards.

Cameron, on the other hand, will be addressing a Tory party environmental summit, and is likely to challenge the government to set strict annual targets in its Climate Change Bill set to be launched on Tuesday, the BBC has said.

Cameron said, "Without annual rate of change targets, it's too easy for the timetable to slip. And once it has slipped, it's much harder to make up the difference later."

The Tories have put the green agenda high on its list of priorities, recently releasing proposals that would tax frequent fliers, as well as introduce a "per flight" tax based on carbon emissions.

Cameron told BBC Radio 5 that some flights which are full pay an "enormous amount" of tax, where as an empty airplane carrying out the same journey "pays nothing". He explained that this was not a "particularly smart" method of taxation.

Brown will criticise the Conservative's proposals as "ill-conceived" and "unworkable", the BBC has reported. Referring to the Tories' approach to Europe, he will say: "Euro-scepticism and continent-wide environmental action are at odds with each other. A government ambivalent about the UK's future in Europe and allied to the most reactionary forces in the European Parliament would have no credibility, no influence and no achievements."

The Climate Change Bill, released on Tuesday will outline the government's long-term goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050, but the BBC explain that it will not include annual targets.