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Govt 'drops green energy plans'

Labour ministers are planning a U-turn on pledges to combat climate change, it has emerged.

The Guardian reports that targets agreed by former prime minister Tony Blair - that 20 per cent of all European energy should come from renewable sources by 2020 - are not feasible and face "severe practical difficulties".

According to a report leaked to the newspaper, secretary of state for business John Hutton will advise prime minister Gordon Brown to work with European governments sceptical about climate change to "help persuade" German chancellor Angela Merkel and her supporters within the EU to redress renewable energy targets to more achievable levels.

The report, entitled Mr Hutton's Energy policy presentation to the prime minister, admits that a change in British green energy pledges holds a "potentially significant cost in terms of reduced climate change leadership", but stresses that a 20 per cent renewable energy target could face serious logistical problems with the Ministry of Defence and shipping industry, due to the practicalities of constructing offshore wind farms.

While Germany's renewable energy share has increased to nine per cent in six years, the UK's contribution is at just two per cent - Mr Hutton's report claims that it could cost the UK £4 billion per year to reach a nine per cent share by 2020.

The shift in policy is likely to be discussed in cabinet this week.

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