Prescott issues climate warning

Mr Prescott meets the VIPs in Downing Street

Industrialised countries must take urgent action to combat greenhouse gases and climate change, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has insisted.

Mr Prescott gave this message when he met representatives of 77 developing countries at Downing Street on Thursday.

If negotiations drag on much longer, Kyoto targets may well be out of reach

John Prescott

Developing countries, especially low-lying islands, want urgent action and a pledge from rich nations, particularly the US, that they will cut carbon dioxide emissions from transport fumes and industry.

Pollution is believed by many scientists to be responsible for the onset of climate change.

Mr Prescott - who is also Environment Secretary - was aiming to lay the foundations for agreements at a meeting in November on global warming.

Meeting in The Hague in the Netherlands, delegates will try to set up a system of carbon trading permits and other mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gases.

Targets warning

Mr Prescott said: "Time is running out. Developed countries need to start taking domestic action now if they are to meet their Kyoto targets.

Renewable energy can cut greenhouse emissions

"If negotiations drag on much longer, Kyoto targets may well be out of reach.

"Further delay will just play into the hands of those who would like to see Kyoto fail. We need to prove them wrong by succeeding in The Hague."

At the Kyoto summit in 1997, the G8 nations agreed to cut gas emissions by 6%.

Those attending Thursday's meeting in Downing Street included the presidents of Nigeria and Algeria, the prie ministers of Jamaica and Malaysia, and the South African high commissioner.

Flooding threat

Such countries are increasingly being affected by freak weather, thought to be linked to global warming caused by greenhouse gases.

If nothing is done, islands like the Maldives and Barbados could face a severe threat from flooding as ocean levels rise due to melting polar ice caps.

The G77 representatives stressed they wanted to continue informal talks with the G8 countries on globalisation and other issues.

The meeting also came two weeks ahead of a UN Millennium Summit in New York.

The UK says it is already more than doing its bit to help slow down global warming: earlier this year, Mr Prescott announced Britain would cut its greenhouse emissions by almost twice as much as it was committed to do under the Kyoto agreement.