Business leaders in the West Midlands have voiced their support to plans by the CBI to combat climate change.

Representatives from the regional office met in Birmingham yesterday for a briefing from CBI senior policy advisor, Rhian Kelly.

The CBI supports the Government's 2050 target to cut greenhouse gases by 60 per cent but has stressed more is needed.

A special Climate Change Taskforce set up by the confederation has highlighted the need for business, government and consumers to work together to build a competitive low carbon UK economy. Ms Kelly said part of the reason for yesterday's briefing was to discuss ways of bringing forward the task-force's recommendations.

"We are getting out and about talking to members about the matter as part of our commitment to engage everyone.

"The members were all supportive and there was a great deal of discussion about what should happen next," she said.

One policy advocated by the group is to educate consumers into the wider effects of climate change, while another is to encourage people to move towards more locally sourced products and services.

The CBI has said it is pleased that the business community has embraced the terms of the Kyoto agreement on climate change and reacted accordingly.

The confederation said that reductions in business-related emissions have been instrumental in delivering almost all the UK's Kyoto target.

However, falls in household and private transport emissions have so far been limited, hence the group's enthusiasm for a policy to educate consumers.

Further recommendations include stronger support for low carbon technologies, including support for large scale demonstration projects of technologies such as carbon capture and storage, and action focused on energy supply, including an immediate assessment of whether new nuclear generation is likely to be needed to meet the 2050 target.

A possible cut in stamp duty for more energy efficient homes has also been suggested as a way of encouraging homeowners to be more proactive.

Reducing pollution by cutting vehicle emissions and making engines more efficient has also been recommended, however, with mounting congestion the effects of this could be negated.

The taskforce has therefore called for a co-ordinated approach to transport policy and improved infrastructure.