Brown faces climate change revolt
July 8, 2008
Gordon Brown is facing the prospect of another significant backbench rebellion - this time over climate change.
More than 80 Labour MPs have signed an amendment to the Climate Change Bill, which would force ministers to promise greater cuts in carbon emissions.
The Climate Change Bill commits the government to make at least a 60% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050. The MPs want that figure to rise to 80%.
The rebels say the 60% goal will not do enough to control global warming.
They also claim it is based on out-of-date science.
The government is not unsympathetic to the 80% target and the prime minister has already said the evidence points that way.
However, he has handed the issue to an independent Climate Change Committee, headed by former CBI chief, Lord Turner, and he is refusing to change the bill until the committee has agreed a new target.
Lord Turner is not due to report until 1 December - after the Climate Change Bill is likely to have passed into law, probably in November.
The rebel MPs want the government to pre-empt Lord Turner's committee and put the 80% target in the bill now, or persuade the peer to report earlier so that his goal can be put into the measure.
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