Cameron seeks binding CO2 targets

David Cameron ratcheted up his claim to the "green vote" as he shared a platform with the environmental group Friends of the Earth to demand that the Government impose legally binding targets to slash Britain's carbon emissions.

The Conservative leader called for a Climate Change Bill to be introduced in the next Queen's Speech to set new annual targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050. Mr Cameron join-ed Tony Juniper, the director of Friends of the Earth, yesterday to demand the legislation but slipped up when he said he was pleased to have the support of Greenpeace. He quickly corrected his error at the briefing in Kingsbridge, Devon.

Under the Tory plans, an independent monitoring body would be set up to check whether Britain is on track to meet climate change goals. Mr Cameron said: "Despite many speeches and pronouncements on this vital issue by everyone from the Prime Minister to the lowest parliamentary under-secretary, ministers' rhet-oric is failing to translate into government action that in any way matches up to the scale of the challenge.

"The simple fact is that we cannot afford for any government in this century to put off action on climate change. Long-term targets have not provided sufficient incentive to act so far: annual targets will make it much harder for any one government to shirk responsibility, hoping that another will get back on track for the 2050 target.

"Our children will judge this generation of political leaders on our ability to put aside petty party differences in order to pull together in the face of this unprecedented global threat.

Mr Juniper said: "We are delighted that David Cam-eron has called for the introduction of a climate change law. Friends of the Earth has been calling for new legislation for a number of years. There is now overwhelming cross-party support for new rules committing the UK to annual reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

The Tories have written to Mr Blair demanding the legislation. Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, has welcomed Mr Cameron's intervention. He said: "A climate change Bill would be a useful tool in the fight against global warming."