Christian relief and development agency Tearfund has welcomed the first draft of the climate change bill, saying it is a "significant step forward for the UK".

Under the proposals, the UK could become the first to develop a legal framework for managing carbon emissions.

However, Tearfund believes the current plan falls short of adequately addressing the problem at home or abroad by not explicitly committing to keeping global warming under the widely accepted 2 degree Celsius threshold, which is widely accepted to be the dangerous threshold to exceed.

Also missing from the bill was the UK's commitment for annual targets to reduce emissions by at least 3 per cent year on year.

Rachel Roach, Tearfund policy adviser for climate change said: "This draft Bill is a very significant step in the right direction for the UK Government. However, it ultimately needs to acknowledge the 2º Celsius global warming danger threshold, and ensure UK carbon emissions are reduced by at least 3 per cent per year. We must get this right as we are running out of time. Climate change is the biggest problem facing the planet today and the poor are being hit the hardest by climate change. Tearfund is already helping poor communities in the developing world cope with the consequences of our energy-hungry lifestyles in the West."

Christian Aid has also called the new climate change bill a 'good start' but noted that it "needs to go further if it is to be effective."

Christian Aid wants a cut of at least 80 per cent with annual targets to check progress, and aviation and shipping emissions to be included within the target.