Tony Blair will today urge the United States to commit itself to tougher action to combat global warming and promise that a list of green policies will be included in Labour's general election manifesto.
The Prime Minister is to raise the profile of green issues as part of a drive to woo back people disaffected by the Iraq war. Labour's private polling shows that "progressive voters", many of whom were alienated by Mr Blair's stance on Iraq, regard the environment as a top priority.
Speaking to a conference staged by the Prince of Wales's Business and the Environment Programme, Mr Blair will stop short of a full-frontal attack on President George Bush, but will make clear that when Britain takes over the presidency of the G8 group of leading industrialised nations in January, it will expect America to accept its responsibilities on global warming.
Mr Blair, who believes the Kyoto treaty does not go far enough, will reiterate his call for the United States to sign it. He will identify climate change as one of the the greatest challenges facing the planet, saying that one country acting alone cannot solve the problem. He believes that nations who promise to act must be assured that they will not be undermined by "free riders" who refuse to play their part.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=561462