The government has failed to resolve a row over how much businesses should be forced to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, days before the publication of its long-awaited climate change programme review.

The failure means that the review, which is due to be published on Tuesday after nearly a year's delay, will not give a clear signal to business on how the government plans to meet its target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2010. Alan Johnson, trade and industry secretary, told the Financial Times yesterday: "We haven't decided [the basis for emissions cuts] yet. We haven't decided a figure yet."