The British government Tuesday unveiled its blueprint for tackling climate change, which sets legally binding targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Environment Secretary David Miliband introduced the draft Climate Change Bill and a framework for transferring the UK to a low-carbon economy.

The bill's target is to reduce emission by 26 percent by 2020 and by 60 percent by 2050. All the figures use 1990 levels as a baseline. It sets out five-year carbon budgets to reach the target and proposes an independent monitoring committee to check annual progress.

The draft bill will be subjected to public consultation and scrutinised by Parliament.

"This bill is a critical part of the equation. It will help us achieve the twin goals I set out in the strategy I am also publishing today - demonstrating leadership through action at home, while also continuing to work towards a strong international agreement post-2012, " Miliband said

The strategy paper, also published on Tuesday, sets out how the Climate Change Bill fits into the government's wider international strategy and a range of future domestic policies to achieve its aims.

It sets out a vision for how the UK can move to a low carbon economy by investing in low-carbon fuels and technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, wind, wave and solar power. It proposes significantly more efficient use of energy. It also proposes a change in the way energy suppliers operate so that they focus on reducing demand, rather than just supplying as much energy as possible, and having consumers also become producers of energy.

Source: Xinhua