Blair: CO₂ cuts would not 'trash' US economy

Tony Blair will today send a message to President George Bush that he must play his part to tackle global warming and cannot hide behind the argument that it will damage the US economy.

The Prime Minister, in a keynote speech on sustainable development organised by the Department of the Environment, will endorse tougher targets on cutting CO2 emissions and will announce a £70m fund to develop green technology to generate electricity.

Mr Blair will make a thinly veiled attack on President Bush's reluctance to introduce tough targets to cut CO2 emissions in his speech. He will argue that new green technology means that US claims it will have to "trash its economy" to take action on climate change are wrong.

"Because of new technology you need not impact on growth," he is expected to say.

Mr Blair will also argue that the Kyoto targets, which Britain is on course to meet, are not radical enough to tackle global warming. He will announce details of a new carbon trust and will call for a new covenant between nations to protect the environment.