When I asked the PM in the House why emissions of CO2 had gone up last year in both the UK and EU whilst falling in the USA, and what the government was going to do about it, he had the decency to confirm my figures. Clearly he has been briefed ahead of the G8 exchanges on climate change, when someone else may point out that the UK and EU have not lived up to their fine words on cutting carbon.

He told me that the new EU Emissions Trading Scheme (coming in next?? year) will sort this out. He did not remind the House that we have had an EU Emissions scheme throughout last year when CO2 output rose, nor did he go into details on how next year would be better and different from last. His strategy was to double up on carbon trading, and quit the job leaving Gordon with the task of explaining why it isn’t working.

Meanwhile, back at the DTI debate??on Wednesday??afternoon the DTI Secretary assured us we are on target to reduce our carbon emissions by 2050. That is a much safer thing for Ministers to pledge, as??even the youngest of them will be?? retired by then.

The truth is government does not have control over CO2 in the way they like to pretend. Last year UK power generators decided to burn a lot more coal in their power stations, whilst the EU set up an Emissions Trading scheme which was never going to curb CO2 output. They have then all congratulated themselves on doing something about climate change and blamed the Americans because they did not do the same!

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