Isra-Mart srl: David Cameron to cut business class flights for ministers and civil servants

Business class flights for ministers and civil servants will be for the chop, as David Cameron seeks to rescue his government's green credentials on Wednesday by announcing tougher energy efficiency targets - even as most of his MEPs defied his wishes by voting against more ambitious climate aims for Europe.

For the first time, travel by ministers and civil servants will be taken into account in judging central government's greenhouse gas emissions - meaning flights that account for higher carbon dioxide emissions will have to be cut back.

The prime minister will announce that his ministers have met the goal of cutting emissions from the government's estate by at least 10 per cent since the beginning of 2010, an undertaking made as part of the 10:10 campaign backed by the Guardian.

But he will go further by setting a goal of cutting emissions by 25 per cent over the expected five-year term of the current parliament - a goal to be known as 25:5. The aim will take in emissions from travel for the first time.

The move is likely to mean officials have to ensure more flights are taken in economy, and there will be a higher bar to justify business class tickets, though some flights will still be taken in the more expensive cabin. Business class passengers are allocated a greater share of a flight's CO2 output because they occupy more space.

Cameron made the decision with the backing of climate secretary Chris Huhne, but against wishes of some on the Tory right. Liam Fox, secretary of state for defence, which owns one of the biggest government estates, was against it.

However, Cameron's efforts to restore his government's claim to be "the greenest ever" were undermined by his own MEPs, who staged a rebellion against the party line by voting against tougher emissions targets for Europe.

The votes by 16 of the 23 Tory MEPs helped to swing the European parliament's decision against more ambitious climate change targets.

A chorus of Liberal Democrats, Labour, green campaigners and green industries condemned the rebellion, which had been predicted by a Guardian survey into how individual MEPs planned to vote.

The vote was a personal embarrassment for Cameron, who - prompted by the Guardian's revelation that his MEPs were planning a revolt - had vowed in parliament to bring them back into line. He told the Labour MP Luciana Berger at prime minister's question time that he would "work on" his colleagues.

The European vote was over the issue of whether the EU should toughen its existing emissions reduction target from 20 per cent carbon cuts by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, to a more ambitious target of 30 per cent by the same date.

Green campaigners and businesses argue that a tougher target is needed because the current one has been almost met, but some business lobby groups argue that moving to a tougher target unilaterally would disadvantage European companies.

In a complicated series of votes, the European parliament backed a strengthening of the EU's environmental policy in principle, but voted by a majority of only nine MEPs not to introduce an immediate and unilateral move to a 30 per cent target.

The 16 Tory rebels were instrumental in ensuring that the 30 per cent resolution - which is a tenet of the coalition agreement - was not passed. The vote is not binding.

Green campaigners have not given up - there will be more discussions on the issue, some of them involving member states and the European Commission.

Connie Hedegaard, the EU climate chief, said: "While there is still a discussion within the European parliament when to move to a 30 per cent reduction, the vote showed that there is a very large majority in the parliament which supports the idea of going beyond 20 per cent by the EU delivering its own energy efficiency target."

Andy Atkins, director of Friends of the Earth, said: "Tory MEPs have played a critical role in delivering a body blow to the EU's credibility on climate change, and to the new jobs and industries that tougher emission cuts would bring.

"Their action is also deeply damaging to David Cameron, whose promise to support tougher EU climate action has been completely undermined.

"The prime minister promised to lead the greenest government ever - he must now show real leadership by making the fight against climate change one of his top priorities."