EU holds firm over CO2 cuts

BRUSSELS will not back down on the tough pollution cuts it demands from Ireland, the Taoiseach admitted yesterday as he unveiled a €200 million green energy boost.

Bertie Ahern warned that people had not yet grasped the lifestyle changes needed to meet the 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020 imposed by the EU.

Ireland had hoped to pursue Brussels to rethink the scale of cuts demanded from us — the steepest in the community — over concern they may have been based on an inflated calculation of the size of our economy.