EU climate plans may prove too lax

 DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations climate panel said on Wednesday that European Union plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions may prove too lax. "What may seem acceptable at this point of time may not be acceptable three or four years from now," Rajendra Pachauri told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "I see no reason why some of these targets may not become stronger, may not become more stringent. I think this is work in progress."

The European Union's executive earlier approved detailed plans to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by one-fifth and set each EU state individual targets to produce one-fifth of all power from renewable sources like the wind and sun by 2020.

Brussels softened its plans at the last minute to placate industry leaders worried about higher energy costs, and environmentalists said the planned cuts were too small. They urged the EU to cut emissions by 30 percent by 2020. Pachauri, 67, also said he would decide in the coming days whether to seek a new term as head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

For full coverage, blogs and TV from Davos see: uk.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/worldeconomicforum2008

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler, Reuters, 23/01/2008)