Tony Blair has defended his climate change strategy amid growing fears that key targets will not be met.

The announcement came as environment secretary Margaret Beckett signalled that Labour appears set to miss a key target on reducing the carbon dioxide gasses that cause global warming.

She is said to believe the government must be tougher with business if the targets are to be met.

Labour had pledged to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010 - but is set to miss the target on current trends.

But the UK is meeting its Kyoto commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent.

Beckett told the BBC that the UK was "not doing as well as we had hoped and we want to do more".

"We have set ourselves pretty high targets. Actually we are well ahead of our main legal commitment, but we set ourselves more ambitious targets and we have to do more to try to reach them," she said.

Delivery

During prime minister's questions on Wednesday, Blair said that the Kyoto target had been achieved.

Challenged by Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, he said "we are taking the measures necessary" to hit the higher target.

"We don't accept we won't meet it," he added.

However Kennedy said the public would find it hard to "have faith in his declared ambition to lead the industrialised world, including President Bush, in actually tackling the climate change issue successfully for once and for all" during the UK's G8 presidency next year.

Blair "talks a good game, persuades himself, but fails to deliver", Kennedy added.

The Lib Dem leader called on ministers to take action against aircraft pollution, reform the climate change levy and reduce domestic energy emissions.

Defra plan

The row flared as the government detailed plans to combat global warming with the publication of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs strategic plan.

But moves to shift the burden to business will be resisted by groups such as the CBI.

Deputy director general John Cridland said: "The environmental lobby is wrong to try to put business in the dock on the environment.

"The government has done little to place any of the burden on consumers.

"So far it has been business that has taken the pain."