European Commission president José Manuel Barroso has said Europe must lead the world into a "post-industrial revolution" through a package of measures which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the EU by 20 per cent over the next 13 years.
The new climate change and energy policy unveiled yesterday by the European Commission aims to confront the reliance of the EU on imported fossil fuels through a package of reforms and targets aimed at transforming energy consumption.
The Government indicated last night that it would endorse the reduction target, but it faced criticism over the current measures it was planning to meet the country's own modest targets under the Kyoto agreement.
The EU proposals were published alongside a call by the European Commission for a 30 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions among developed nations, with an overall reduction of up to 50 per cent in emissions by 2050. The commission said that such reductions were required if global warming was to be kept to two degrees above pre-industrial temperature levels, and if the world is to avoid catastrophic climate change.
It said that even if the reductions are achieved, there is still only a "50-50" chance of avoiding temperature rises of more than two degrees.
The 30 per cent reduction, which the commission claimed would cost just 5 per cent of total GDP between 2013 and 2030, is being seen as the opening salvo in global negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto agreement, which finishes in 2012.
The agreement has been widely criticised as the US refused to ratify it, while legally binding targets were not set for China and India.
The key proposals of the EU climate change and energy package yesterday included: reforming the energy market within the EU to create effective competition; policies aimed at a rapid increase in renewable energy and biofuels; and a 20 per cent reduction in energy demand through improved energy efficiencies in homes, businesses and transport.
Last night, the Government indicated that it supported the 30 per cent reduction over 1990 levels target.
"From both environmental and competitiveness perspectives, it makes sense for the EU to tackle greenhouse gas emissions by a significant margin in the short term," Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said last night.
However, Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said the Government's support "lacks any kind of credibility" because of a lack of any coherent strategy to reduce the current levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the State.