Britain proposes bold environmental legislation that could pave way for post-Kyoto pact

Britain's government proposed bold new environmental legislation that would set legally binding, long-term limits on carbon emissions — a move it hopes will prompt the United States, China and India to follow suit.

The draft climate change bill would be the first legislation in an industrialized country to set such long-range goals, including a carbon budget set every five years that would cap CO2 levels and create an independent body to report on progress. The proposal Tuesday also set binding targets as far ahead as 2050 for reducing carbon emissions.

"This is a revolutionary step in confronting the threat of climate change," Prime Minister Tony Blair told reporters. "It sets an example to the rest of the world.