Key Senate panel approves climate bill; Republicans boycott

Nov 5, 2009, 16:12 GMT

Washington - A key Senate committee approved a landmark climate bill Thursday that would force US companies to curb greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming.

But the 11-1 vote in the Senate Environment Committee was boycotted by opposition Republicans on the panel, who complained that the legislation had yet to be properly analyzed for its economic costs.

The bill would aim to reduce emissions 20 per cent by 2020 by introducing a cap-and-trade system that for the first time forces US companies to pay for their pollution. Republican opponents argue it will impose too heavy a burden on the economy.

The controversial legislation now moves to the full Senate, where it still faces heavy resistance and could be changed significantly. The House of Representatives passed a similar bill earlier this year.

Senator John Kerry is leading an effort to craft a bipartisan compromise, together with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent.

But the full bill is unlikely to be approved by the time governments meet for a crucial UN climate summit from December 7-18 in Copenhagen.