Tony Blair, British prime minister, and Jan Peter Balkenende, his Dutch counterpart urge in a joint letter ahead of an EU summit in Finland on Friday:

… The science of climate change has never been clearer. Without further action, scientists now estimate we may be heading for temperature rises of at least 3-4C above pre-industrial levels.

We have a window of only 10-15 years to take the steps we need to avoid crossing catastrophic tipping points.

These would have serious consequences for our economie growth prospects, the safety of our people and the supply of resources, most notably energy. So we must act quickly. …

Full letter (PDF)