The Labour government is "squandering" the opportunity to tackle climate change sufficiently, Michael Howard has claimed.

Speaking at an environment forum hosted by Green Alliance on Monday, the Conservative leader argued that major advances in environmental regulation were completed under his party's rule.

He repeatedly referred to his own time as environment secretary in the Major government as he laid into Labour's record.

Howard also suggested that the Tories would have a better chance of persuading the White House to sign up to climate change targets than Tony Blair.

"Over the years that rhetoric has been backed up by a long track record of action. It was Conservatives who led the way in public health and clean water - back in the 19th century," he said.

"The Clean Air Acts were Conservative achievements. Conservative governments introduced the modern framework for countryside and wildlife protection; the ban on CFCs; tax incentives for unleaded petrol; the great clean-up of our rivers and lakes; the landfill tax; and the Home Energy and Conservation Act. It was Edward Heath who established the Department of the Environment.

"Margaret Thatcher was one of the first major world leaders to alert the international community to the threat of global warming. Chris Patten produced the first white paper on the environment. John Major set up the Environment Agency.

"It was a great privilege for me to serve as environment secretary. I signed the agreement to end CFCs. And one of the most extraordinary and rewarding days of my entire time in government was when I was environment secretary. Just after the 1992 election, I spent a day in Washington and succeeded in persuading the United States government, under George Bush senior, to sign the Climate Change Convention, the forerunner of the Kyoto Agreement.

"My successor, John Gummer, continues to be recognised as a leading international authority on the environment. This is a proud tradition, which I am determined to build on as leader of the Conservative Party."

Special relationship

But the UK's close relationship with the US is not being used to full effect, he argued.

"We have a privileged relationship with the USA, which leaves us best placed to persuade them into the international fold. We assume the presidency of the G8 and the EU next year," he said.

"My concern is that we are squandering this opportunity. Because of our failure to follow up bold rhetoric with action that inspires trust. The instinct of our prime minister is to lecture people. But on his watch CO2 emissions have actually risen. He has set ambitious long term targets for CO2 emission reductions but few people outside government believe that there is a coherent plan for achieving them.

"Labour's policy on sustainable transport is now a jumble of contradictions. Their renewable energy strategy begins and ends with onshore wind farms, despite the opposition from local communities. Their support for new technology is well behind that of other leading economies, despite the fact that they could transform the debate and create great opportunities for British companies.

"Their incompetence in managing European legislation has been unbelievable."

Tory Approach

Instead, there should be a four-pronged approach, said Howard.

The UK should take international leadership in the area of climate change, while encouraging a reduction in emissions by creating global trading.

The government's focus should be on energy efficiency and developing renewable energy sources.

"I am the first party leader who has served as environment secretary. It's an issue I care passionately about. I want the Conservatives to carry on leading this debate. And we will," he said. 

"The next Conservative government will replace aspiration with achievement and words with actions. We will reassert Britain's global leadership on climate change. We will renew the drive for a diversified renewable energy sector. We will champion renewable energy technology to bring forward the future. We will provide fiscal and pragmatic incentives to increase energy efficiency dramatically. And we will engage the British people because in this debate we are all decision-makers.

"We have inherited a diverse and beautiful world - we must hand it on, enhanced and not diminished. It should be the ambition of every politician in this country - and indeed every politician around the world - to say when he or she leaves office: if you want to see my monument, look around you. I have left this world a better place than when I found it.

"I believe that the next Conservative government will be able to say that.  I am determined that it should."

'A serious impediment'

Howard's speech came as an ICM poll for Greenpeace showed that 80 per cent of respondents support government plans to increase the number of wind turbines in the UK, with just eight per cent opposed.  In addition, 70 per cent supported the construction of wind farms in their local area.

"Michael Howard is right when he says Bush should sign the Kyoto protocol, but on the ground his party is a serious impediment in the fight against global warming," said campaigner Jim Footner.

"Conservative politicians have tried to scupper wind energy projects across the country while Mr Howard himself has shared a platform with prominent anti-wind campaigners like David Bellamy, who denies global warming is even real.  Mr Howard claims offshore wind is unpopular, but this poll shows how wrong he is."