Survey of Europe's top 300 companies reveals UK as worst offender in terms of corporate impact on global warming.

Britain is being accused of being the "dirty man of Europe" after new research showed that, of the world's top 300 companies, more than half of those most engaged in carbon-polluting sectors were based in the UK.

A review of Europe's top 300 companies by the ethical investment consultant Eiris found that the greatest proportion of those with "very high impact" in relation to global warming came from the UK, more than double the number from any other country.

Of those companies in the top 300 dedicated to solving or mitigating the problems of climate change, only 3% were located in Britain. Eiris's findings come at a time when BP, one of the UK's best-known companies, has attracted bad publicity worldwide over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

A spokesman for Eiris said that its review was "worrying from a consumer point of view but also from an investment perspective". He added: "It is particularly alarming for pension funds and other long-term investors as climate change rises up the political agenda."

Source:Guardian