MPs urge action over US pollution

THE GOVERNMENT should put pressure on America to cut emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2 to reduce global pollution, MPs said yesterday.

The US - which accounts for some 25 per cent of the world's discharges of greenhouse gases - has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on emissions targets unless developing countries are also involved in the process.

The Environmental Audit Committee today urged the Government and the European Union to use "all available means to encourage the US to ratify" the protocol.

In its report MPs said the Government should also "contribute to efforts" to encourage developing countries to sign up to emission reduction targets.

MPs said a vital element of the drive to cut emissions of greenhouse gases is the agreement of effective audit and enforcement arrangements under the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto committed developed countries to an overall 5 per cent reduction in their 1990 levels of emissions of greenhouse gases between 2008-12.

The MPs stressed that the unilateral UK target of a 20 per cent reduction for CO2 was "very challenging" and urged the Government to set out for consultation a programme of measures to meet this aim by 2010.

But they added: "We were disappointed that the Government did not detail to us substantive work to support its adoption of the 20% CO2 reduction target."