UK to Cut Greenhouse Gases

Britain has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent over the next four decades, the BBC reports. Under the Climate Change Bill, the government will create an independent commission to help it meet five-year "carbon budgets." The government says the plan gives Britain the first "legally binding framework" to reduce emissions.

Environmentalists applauded the move toward a low-carbon economy but say the government can do better. They pushed for a goal of 80 percent reductions by 2050. PM Gordon Brown's government says the five-year plans give businesses enough time to invest in new low-carbon technology and prepare for the gradually increasing standards.  (More global warming stories.)