MEPs block move to cut emission level

An effort by European parliamentarians formally to throw Europe’s weight behind a more ambitious cut in greenhouse gas emissions fizzled out after rival members of the parliament watered down the proposal.

The parliamentary vote, held in Strasbourg on Tuesday, marked the latest clash in an increasingly contentious debate between politicians, business leaders and member states over the European Union’s climate policy.

It could prove awkward for David Cameron, the UK prime minister – who has sought to position his government as a global leader on climate issues – as the resolution was thwarted by a nine-vote margin supplied by British conservative MEPs.

Tuesday’s resolution, drafted by Bas Eickhout, a Green MEP, was non-binding but intended to signal political support for a move to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020.

European leaders agreed in 2008 to reduce the bloc’s emissions by 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, with a move to a 30 per cent reduction if other nations demonstrated equivalent effort.

Mr Eickhout complained his resolution had been “hijacked” after centre-right MEPs inserted an amendment that would make the move conditional.

The amendment passed by 326 to 317 votes. Of 25 British conservative MEPs, 16 supported the amendment while two opposed it.

After the vote, Glenis Willmott, the UK opposition Labour party’s leader in the European Parliament, said: “David Cameron claims to be green, but this vote has shown the hollowness of his party’s commitments on environmental policy.”

With the support of Connie Hedegaard, the climate action commissioner, several member states, including the UK, are pushing for the 30 per cent target.

One of their chief arguments is that the economic crisis has led to an unexpected fall in emissions, making the 20 per cent target easily achievable. Such a move, they argued, would help spur investment in green technology and create jobs.

However, Europe’s glass, steel and other heavy industries strongly opposed the plan, arguing that a unilateral move would make it too expensive for them to compete with Chinese and Indian manufacturers. Poland, which relies almost entirely on coal for its electricity, has also dug in its heels. Last month, it blocked the adoption of a non-binding report, which concluded that a 30 per cent target would make it less expensive for Europe to meet its long-term ambition of reducing emissions by 80 per cent or more by 2050.

The European Conservatives and Reformists, the British Conservatives’ parliamentary group, said its members did not deny climate change, but believed targets should be practical.