A new report on climate change has predicted that the world will suffer irreversible economic damage unless it acts now to combat the effects of global warming.

Sir Nicholas Stern, in his long-awaited review of the economic costs of global warming, believes there is still time to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

But without urgent global action, the world risks major disruptions, which would be "difficult or impossible to reverse", he said.

Chancellor Gordon Brown, who commissioned the report, is likely to use it to demand a concerted international push to reduce carbon emissions.

Brown wants a new Europe-wide target of a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and a more ambitious goal for 2050 of 60%, higher that the current target of 50%.

Non-EU countries - such as Australia, Japan and Norway - will be entreated to join the scheme in the first step towards a global system.

It is also likely that the Government will introduce some form of taxation to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint.

The environment secretary David Miliband is likely to propose a set of financial squeezes on motorists and air travellers to cut harmful emissions.

He is suggesting taking away from motorists the money they save on fuel when oil prices go down and a "substantial increase" in road tax for higher-emission vehicles.

On air travel, Miliband proposed raising air passenger duty by £5 and making flights subject to VAT, ideally on all EU trips.

Read a summary of the report here >>

Caterer Green Month >>

By James Garner

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