MPs call climate change target too weak

LONDON (Reuters) - Draft plans to curb the nation's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 60 percent by 2050 were too weak, an environment committee of MPs said on Monday.

Britain became in March the first country to propose binding legislation to cut emissions of the gas most blamed for causing global warming.

The proposals would help reverse a recent rise in carbon emissions which have put Britain well behind its 2010 domestic emissions target, but didn't go far enough, the report said.

"The 2050 target needs to be significantly strengthened, in accordance with the latest science of where we need to be to limit global warming to 2 degree celsius," said Tim Yeo, chairman of the group, referring to a European Union goal to limit global temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

The 2050 target should also include rapidly rising international aviation and shipping emissions, currently excluded from many international measures including the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.

"International aviation and shipping emissions can and should be included in the UK's targets immediately," said Yeo.