Blair says Bush climate plan a start

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed President George W. Bush's climate change strategy on Thursday, saying it was important that the United States for the first time had said it wanted to be part of a global deal.

"For the first time (America) is setting its own domestic targets, for the first time it is saying it wants a global target for the reduction of emissions and therefore for the first time we've got the opportunity of getting a proper global deal," Blair told Sky News during a visit to South Africa.

Earlier on Thursday Bush unveiled a long-term strategy on climate change, with plans to gather the countries that emit the most greenhouse gases and set a global emissions goal.

Bush would also cut tariff barriers to sharing environmental technology as part of a strategy announced before a Group of Eight summit in Germany next week which is likely to be dominated by debate over how to deal with global climate change.

"Without America and China in this deal the rest of the world frankly can agree whatever it wants but it's not going to have the effect of improving the environment," Blair said.

"I think the important thing is -- for the first time America is saying it wants to be part of a global deal," he added.