The EU should cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 30% by 2020 without waiting for other rich countries to adopt more ambitious policies, three of Europe's most influential environment ministers said in a joint article published in the Financial Times, Le Monde and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on July 15th.

Ministers Chris Huhne (UK Climate Change Secretary), Norbert Röttgen (German Federal Environment Minister) and Jean-Louis Borloo (French Environment Minister) said in the article, "A reduction of 30 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 would represent a real incentive for innovation and action in the international context."

Following quickly on their heels, heavy hitters in the EU business world came out in support of the letter, also calling for increased emissions reductions ambition.

A similar letter ran in the same publications in support of the environment ministers' position, written by CEOs and chairpeople from 27 big businesses including household names such as Asda, Barilla, BT, Deutsche Telecom, Lloyds Banking Group, Nestlé, Philips, Tesco and Vodafone.

“The EU’s future competitive advantage lies in encouraging and enabling its businesses to help drive the transformational change that will occur in the world economy within the next couple of decades, not to hide from it,” the CEOs' letter said.