(BRUSSELS) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged EU leaders Wednesday not to abandon their goals to combat climate change in the face of growing pressures from the global financial crisis.

"This is not the time to abandon a climate change agenda which is important for the future," he told reporters in Brussels, ahead of a summit of European Union leaders.

"The climate change agenda is part of the solution for many of the problems we face as a global economy," he said, noting that high oil prices and less energy security "makes it more important that we deal with a long-term policy."

Last year, EU leaders vowed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. They also pledged to have renewable energies make up 20 percent of total energy sources.

But many EU nations have begun to baulk at the costs involved and the consequences to industry of the climate change goals.

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, after talks with Brown, also urged the leaders to press ahead and not abandon Europe's leadership role.

"It is important to understand that climate change is not an optional extra," he said. "It's a challenge, a real challenge that does not disappear because of the financial crisis."

"If we now give any signal that we are not really committed to doing it, others will not have the incentive to do it," he went on.

Barroso said that, given more encouraging signals on climate change from the United States, "it would be a complete mistake coming from Europe, saying after all, this is not so urgent."

In a draft of conclusions to be released at the end of the summit, the leaders are set to express their "determination" to respect the climate change goals, whose "balance and fundamental parameters" must be respected.

They will also underline their commitment to improving the security of energy supplies in Europe.

No final decision on the climate package, to be discussed over a working dinner later Wednesday in Brussels, was expected Wednesday but the European Commission remains hopeful that it can seal a deal in December.

A European diplomat said the overall goals had not been challenged but that concessions would have to be made to eastern European countries finding it tough to make emissions cuts due to a reliance on coal-fired power stations.

For example Poland, reliant on coal-fired power plants for 96 percent of its electricity, is calling on Brussels to increase its carbon dioxide emissions cap for its energy utilities.

Both Poland and Germany are also seeking to ease plans to start auctioning emissions quotas for industry from 2013.

European Council

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