British Government accused of 'environment deceit'

Gordon Brown has been accused of presiding over an environmental policy based on "propaganda and deceit" after a leaked document suggested vital 'green' energy targets will not be met.

Government officials also faced charges of seeking to "undermine" specific environmental commitments made by Tony Blair shortly before Mr Brown took over as Prime Minister last June.

The former Prime Minister signed up to a new European Union target of achieving 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources such as wind and tidal power. But a leaked document from officials in the former Department of Trade and Industry revealed that Britain has little hope of achieving its target.

According to the briefing paper obtained by The Guardian, officials said the best the UK could actually achieve was just nine per cent by 2020. The paper, produced in the early summer when the Government's energy white paper was published, also admitted that the UK "has achieved little so far on renewables".

It even suggested that Ministers lobby Brussels to allow nuclear power to be included in the overall renewables aim as part of a more flexible interpretation of the EU environmental target.