Britain defends watered-down CO2 limit

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Britain is not undermining the
European Union’s emissions trading system by going to court in
an attempt to ease pollution limits put on its companies,
Environment Minister Elliot Morely said on Monday.

London is challenging a European Commission ruling that
Britain must stick with its original plans to limit carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions in the 2005-2007 period of the scheme,
which was launched in January.

Britain, which has made fighting climate change one of its
priorities as holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, wanted to
water down its plan because of revisions to data on emissions
and energy use, allowing companies to produce nearly three
percent more CO2 than first proposed.

The Commission said no, and now the issue has gone before
the European Court of First Instance.

“The case is simply an argument about whether the
Commission should consider the request. That’s what the case is
about … rather more than the actual figures really,” said
Morley, British Minister of State for Climate Change &
Environment.

“I don’t think it will undermine (the scheme),” he told
reporters, after being asked whether a court victory for
Britain might encourage other states to try revise their plans.

The EU’s emissions trading scheme is its key instrument to
fight global warming and meet commitments under the
environmental treaty known as the Kyoto Protocol.

The scheme puts limits on the amount of CO2, the main gas
blamed for global warming, that companies can emit. Firms buy
more rights to pollute if they overshoot their targets or sell
them if they come in below the cap.