The EU must become the "environmental union" and make tackling climate change its primary purpose, David Miliband has said.
The environment secretary, delivering a lecture at the University of Cambridge, said strong political leadership would prove vital in moving into a "post-oil", low-carbon economy.
And he suggested including vehicles in the EU emissions trading scheme, which currently covers industrial greenhouse gas production.
"Al Gore says climate change is a planetary emergency. It is. But it is more than that," he said.
"It is a humanitarian emergency - a threat to the security and survival of people, not just nature.
"One of the reasons why the world has been slow to wake up to the threat from climate change is that is has been bracketed as an environmental issue.
"In government, climate change is increasingly being re-framed. It is moving out of the box market 'environment'."
Miliband said he would announce details of the government's Climate Change Bill next week, which would make the UK the first country in the world to set in law targets and a timetable for cutting carbon emissions.
The Bill will be published in draft form.
He said a change akin to the industrial revolution would be needed to use natural resources more productively.
"The EU must become the environmental union, and the drive to replace oil dependence with sustainable energy sources could provide the tangible expression of this mission and the basis for renewing Europe's connection with its citizens.
"In thinking through the opportunities to build a post-oil economy, we need to consider whether surface transport could become part of the EU emissions trading scheme; we need to consider whether we should set a long term goal for vehicle emissions standards in 2020 or beyond that signal our intent to develop an infrastructure that could support low-carbon transport in Europe."
