Denial would be nice, but we are clearly trashing the world, and nations need to move to lower economic growth and sustainable use programmes. The Earth is a fixed resource, so we also need population levels to stabilise and then fall. If that happens then sustainable use, low growth should work.

Paul Freeman, London, England

He's realises that attempting to control global climate via the misplaced and UNPROVEN belief that CO2 (mankind's annual contribution to new emissions is 3%) has significant impact on warming will cripple economies and lead to mass starvation and millions of deaths. The AGW scam will soon be over

Bickers, Northwich,

the real face of europe,the east are just in it for what they can get.

lorne, derby, derbyshire

It is so sad to see a beautiful concept such as the "EU carbon dioxide blueprint" being murdered by a gang of brutal facts.

Dennis Eagan, Colorado Springs, US

Horace CO2 emissions relate to fuel use, which relates to manufacturing costs. Cutting CO2 means being more efficient and making production more competitive - it is about boosting growth and competitiveness, not halting growth. Berlusconi and others are stuck in the dark ages.

Peter, London,

Andy, It's easy to say that from the UK where 70% of the economy revolves around services. Banks and Insurance Groups don't have gas emissions. Italy is (after Germany) the 2nd largest manufacturing european country and Europe's 3rd largest exporter. Cutting emissions = destruction of our economy

Horace, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

With the world suffering from "real" troubles such as the potential collapse of the capitalist system, can't we dispense with the "pretend" stuff like Global Warming etc; That PC nonsense is ok when everything else is going fine but not now.

Jerry, seattle , usa

Good-at least we have some politicians with a bit of commonsense.Pity they're not in the UK.

Andy, Bristol, UK

I have no idea how much carbon emission reduction is needed, if any. Politicians should note however, that the ones who let the lights go out because of not building enough power stations will be out of office for a long time.

KW, Bognor Regis, England

So much depends on petrochemicals. Even if climate change were a mistaken belief, we'd need to preserve the fossil 'fuel' resource, or we'd lose a lot of medicine, electronics, pharmaceuticals, clothing. The country which leads will leverage economic growth through energy tech.

Damn shortsighted.

Dan Pope, Carmarthenshire, UK

So to achieve the target we need to cut the population? Starvation sounds a good way and is baked into the Govt plans by the look of it!!! Can we have a referendum on this and see how many people actually believe we should do this?

Ian, Tokyo, Japan

Are you guys serious? Global warming is not nonsense... its scientific fact. Im Polish so I do support the Polish stand but its not because i dont believe that global warming doesnt exist. My reason is that its the developed nations that are most responsible so they should burdom more of the cost.

Maciej Skiba, Chicago, USA

What a surprise: that one of the most salubrious and despicable politicians around will not support EU efforts to control global warming. Berlusconi did not get rich by caring about the world or its people: he represents the worst form of cynical money-making.

Martin Baldwin-Edwards, Athens, Greece

One of these days, the whole concept of "man-made" global warming will go the way of the flat earth.

Is there climate change? You bet. Is it caused by man? Maybe a tiny fraction... If at all.

Enjoy your winter, Europe: If you thought last year was cold, just wait a few more weeks.

Dan Schwartz, Sayreville, NJ, US of A

Destruction of the economies of modern nations via "Cap and Trade" policies is suicidal. The coming world-wide recession/depression will result in a reduction in humanity's CO2 output without the need for draconian and misguided solutions.

Dr. Albert Gortenbull, Edinburgh, UK

Both science and economics behind the AGW campaigns are fraudulent, as is the Kyoto "solution" which will solve nothing but create extraordinary rorts of the consumer by the politically powerful. Consensus has nothing to do with science but everything to do with politics.

Alan Wilkinson, Russell, New Zealand

From a conversation I had with an Ivy League scientist: The environmental 'police' are simply out to destroy capitalism through their demands to seriously curtail industrial output for the sake of a modest improvement in the climate - "They are Green on the outside but Red on the inside."

Peter, New York, USA

Predicably this revolt is led by Berlusconi, businessman and politican.No doubt the Maafia who run his country hate the idea of control. Getting rid of toxic waste is a nice little earner for some. The current financial meltdown would be as nothing if the climate does the same. Bravo UK!

Ray Cobbett, Emsworth, Hampshire,

We are fighting for survival, so it is necessary we do not load too much on costs or we'll be uncompetitive in the market place.

james, London,

Leaving aside the science, this shows what a busted flush the EU is. As soon as national interests are seriously threatened, the unity can go hang. The UK should get out of the EU before we are dragged down by it; we don't have a problem in going it alone. Unlike, say, Italy. Or Scotland ...

David Bugler, Torquay, UK

The earth has actually cooled this century.

"Global warming" is a socialist scam designed to transfer wealth from producers to freeloaders, and prop up socialism, which cannot stand on its own.

Brian, Fort Lauderdale, USA

Berlusconi will be long dead when the effects of man-made climate change come into full effect. Probably some of the posters here, too. Your children (if you have any) will curse you for your stubborn shortsightedness.

Matt, Berlin, Germany

Well done Berlusconi. At last a politician prepared to stand up to the climate change thugs.

Lawrence, Totnes, UK

Hurrah for Berlusconi and the Iron Curtain bloc! Time to dump this "global warming" nonsense and the Lisbon Treaty as well. Roll on the Czech presidency and next June's European Parliament elections!

Charles, Luxembourg,

The EU should first check the science. The IPCC has grossly over estimated the effects Global Warming by factoring the effect of CO"2 by THREE. This done on the mistaken belief, that positive feedbacks will enhance the effect of the CO2 alone. There is no evidence that positive feedbacks exist.

WarmWilliam, Edinburgh,

Unlike the financial crisis - which occurs every 20 years when the bankers cycle of greed and over confidence peaks - the affects of global warming will be with us for centuries. Thats taxpayers and voters facing massive infrastrucure expenditure just to survive. But not on your watch Mr Berlusconi?

Andy, Henley-on-Thames, UK

Let's all vote for Vaclav Klaus - the first sensible politician in years.

Philip , Wallingford, Oxon