Climate change measures 'could be watered down due to financial crisis'

European commitments to tackle climate change could be watered down due to the financial crisis.

By Jon Swaine Last Updated: 2:12PM BST 15 Oct 2008

Environmental campaigners fear that measures to reduce carbon emissions could be overshadowed by discussions over hundreds of billions of pounds of banking rescue schemes at a meeting in Brussels.
However, some countries fear that meeting the EU's target - reducing carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 - may be impossible due to constraints caused by the economic downturn.
Maciej Nowicki, the Polish Environment Minister, has said his country wants to reform Europe's proposed carbon reduction package because of its costs.
He said: "Poland does not fear reducing emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, but the way of achieving this is at present is not acceptable."
Italian and German officials have also argued that existing targets will heap pressure on power companies and manufacturers at a moment when several European countries are set to fall into recession.
Stavros Dimas, the EU Environment Commissioner, has said the European Parliament and EU governments could amend the climate and energy package.
However, he insisted the present measures were "consistent with solving the financial crisis".
"At the moment, people are focused on the economic crisis, but our package is part of the solution," he said.
"Fighting climate change means investment in energy efficiency, promoting renewable sources and providing incentives to stimulate the economy and contribute to growth."
Mr Dimas also said that states will be able to pay developing countries to fulfil some of their emission cut obligations for them.