THE BIRMINGHAM SUMMIT: Split over pollution

GREEN campaigners yesterday accused the G8 of promoting catastrophic climate change through fossil fuel emissions, writes Louise Jury.

They said major divisions had emerged at the G8 summit between the world's richest nations on how to tackle climate change.

The US wants to trade internationally-agreed pollution permits with Russia while pressing developing countries to agree legal commitments to reduce climate-changing pollution. It is understood that both plans are being resisted by European countries.

Tony Juniper of Friends of the Earth said: "If the G8 supports such pollution trading, international efforts to prevent catastrophic climate change could be fatally damaged."