Deeper Carbon Cuts, in U.S., Well No

Energy companies lobby EU for deeper carbon cuts

03 Mar 2011 - March 4 (Reuters) - Several of Europe's biggest energy companies said on Friday they would support deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

The move -- by firms including including Britain's Scottish & Southern Energy , Denmark's Dong Energy [DONG.UL] and Dutch firm Eneco [ENECO.UL] -- highlights a growing rift between traditional heavy industries, which oppose tougher climate action in the EU, and a number of clean technology and service industries that want to go further.

They issued their statement ahead of EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard's launch of a strategy paper next Tuesday outlining her vision of the future. [ID:nLDE71E2EZ]

The EU, home to 500 million people, has taken on some of the world's toughest climate commitments -- to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels over the next decade.

Hedegaard's strategy will not seek to propose a new unilateral target, but is expected to highlight that energy saving measures could put the EU on track for a 25 percent cut at little cost to industry. {continued}