EU lawmakers call for faster climate change curbs

By Pete Harrison

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Global temperature rises should be kept well below the European Union's target of 2 degrees Celsius to avoid costly damage to people and their lifestyles, the European parliament said on Wednesday.

Its members voted 566-61 in favor of a report which also said EU consumers must be given better information about the "carbon footprint" of goods they buy, including products imported into the 27-nation bloc.

The report is not part of a law but provides a stance for the parliament which has powers of co-decision on EU environment matters.

EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas criticized the United States for not helping control climate change and praised China for its efforts so far.

"We're calling on the United States of America to stop being an obstacle to progress in this area, and to actually be part of the process," he told parliamentarians.

"Discussions under way with the United States have started to move in the right direction... however we are still expecting them to improve their stance."

Washington argues that improved technology will do more to slow climate change than limits on industry.

The EU says any warming of the climate by more than 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels would bring more damaging heat waves, storms, flooding and water shortages.