NGOs across Europe united today to warn their political leaders that horse trading and diplomatic brinkmanship could destroy a historic package of measures aimed at tackling climate change.

Representatives from the Climate Action Network, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have sent a joint letter to the heads of Europe's main institutions demanding that leaders have the courage to face down those countries determined to massively weaken the climate change deal.

The most recent draft of the package, if accepted, would result in a totally inadequate deal:

• The current proposal would allow European industries covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme (like power stations and steel works) to 'buy in' 50 per cent of their emission cuts from countries outside the EU. For sectors outside the scheme (like housing, schools and transport), the figure is at least 66 per cent.

• Some countries are pushing for a free allocation of ETS permits for new coal fired power stations. This would effectively give one of the key industries responsible for climate change billions of Euros in unwarranted, undeserved windfall profits.

Reacting to the ongoing discussions, Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "Europe's credibility on climate change is on the brink of collapse, and it's time for the British Government to step in and show some real leadership. Gordon Brown needs to make it clear that the UK will make dramatic cuts in our carbon emissions here in the UK, and that polluting industries like coal fired power stations will not receive windfall taxes that they do not deserve.

"Winning this fight will require vision, cooperation and leadership. What we're seeing right now is the opposite, and unless this deal is much improved, future generations will condemn us for this failure."

For more information please contact Greenpeace UK on +44 207 865 8255

Commenting on plans by the government to off-set its emissions from aviation, Charlie Kronick of Greenpeace said:

"This is just plain hypocritical of the government. Off-setting is a book-keeping trick that can't stop climate change, because once you've burned jet fuel at altitude there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop your emissions changing the climate. If ministers were serious about reducing greenhouse gases from aviation they'd shelve plans for new runways and airports. Investing in clean energy programmes in the developing world is welcome, but without action here at home it's just government greenwash."

Commenting ahead of the government's announcement of a voluntary code on carbon off-setting and a statement from Tesco which is also due to feature off-setting, Charlie Kronick, head of Greenpeace's climate and energy campaign, said:

"The scientists warn we need to slash our carbon emissions, but there is a risk that the fashion for off-setting could actually encourage people to take flights and unnecessary journeys. The truth is, once you've put a tonne of CO2 into the atmosphere there's nothing off-setting can do to stop it changing our climate.

"The government's announcement of a voluntary code for carbon offset products will do little to protect the climate or make it easier for consumers to do the right thing, because offsets shift the responsibility for reducing our carbon footprint from Western governments to ordinary people in the developing world. Instead the government should be taking the radical action needed to reduce our emissions here at home, like stopping airport expansion and reforming our wasteful electricity generation system. The announcement is a smokescreen.

"Too often carbon off-setting is Enron environmentalism, a neat accounting trick that does little to stop global warming. The government should focus on transforming the way we use energy here in the UK at the same time as helping to put the growing economies of the developing world on a low carbon pathway."

ENDS

For more information and to arrange an interview, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.