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London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – Britain hopes to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases in half by 2025. The ambitious national goal was announced Tuesday by British Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne.

By 2030, U.K. aims to reach a 60 percent cut from 1990 levels of carbon emissions. To achieve that goal, Huhne said Britain would fast track green measures from 2020 by massive investment in renewable forms of energy such as wind farms and strict implementation of energy efficiency measures to conserve power usage by homes and businesses.

However, before Huhne got cabinet approval of the green target, the ministers battled it out. Chancellor George Osborne and Business Secretary Vince Cable opposed the lofty targets set by the ministry because they believed it would negatively impact Britain’s manufacturing sector which would have to pay green taxes.

However, Prime Minister David Cameron backed Huhne’s Climate Change Act of 2008. With the ambitious goals, which includes ramping up the GHG cuts to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050, Britain would be the world leader in carbon emission cuts.

European Union Climate Change Chief Connie Hedegaard supported Britain’s initiative as a good example for other countries to emulate. Hedergaard said Britain’s plan showed nations could still aim for economic growth while reducing GHG.

The head of the Committee on Climate Change, David Kennedy, confirmed that the carbon emission program would help Britain grow economically because the shift to renewable forms of energy would provide the nation lower electricity prices.

Some British business groups, such as EEF – the industry body for Britain’s manufacturing sector – argued that by targeting GHG cuts greater than other countries, the country’s manufacturers’ competitiveness would be compromised. EEF warned that manufacturers may transfer operations to other countries where environmental laws are less stringent than Britain’s.

According to analysts, for Britain to achieve its ambitious targets, the country would have to source 97 percent of its electricity from low carbon sources, provide insulation to 3.5 million homes and mandate 60 percent of new cars to run on electricity by 2030.

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