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Britain defends watered-down CO2 limit

Posted on: Monday, 24 October 2005, 10:07 CDT

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.

Source: REUTERS

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