Greens attack delay in climate change law

The Government's green credentials were called into question after it emerged that its Climate Change Bill would not become law in the current parliamentary session.

Ministers trumpeted the decision to include the Bill in the Queen's Speech last November as a sign that the environment was at the top of Labour's agenda. But they confirmed yesterday that when it is published next month, it will appear only in draft form. This means there will not be time for it to complete its passage in the current parliamentary session and that it is unlikely to be passed until next year.

Green campaigners attacked the delay, but the Government denied it had watered down its plans, saying it had never promised a full Bill and had always been committed to a consultation process on the measure.

However, the website of the Commons Leader, Jack Straw, included it as a full-scale Bill in its section on the current legislative programme. It was not on a separate list of draft measures.

The Bill will set in stone Labour's long-term goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 and set up an independent carbon committee to work with the Government on reducing emissions. Although ministers have rejected calls for annual targets, the Bill is expected to set targets every five years.

Critics claimed disagreements between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Trade and Industry were partly responsible for the delay.

Chris Huhne, the environment spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said the move augured ill for the leadership credentials of David Miliband, the Environment Secretary. He said: "David Miliband promised a Climate Change Bill this year, and even postponed the key Marine Bill in order to make parliamentary time for it. Now the Government has announced that we will have neither the Climate Change Bill nor the Marine Bill this year. This is not just a climb-down but a total shambles."

Ministers denied that Whitehall departments were behind the delay and insisted the draft Bill would be the focus of a major nationwide public campaign.