The vice president for environment, technology and regulatory affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce has claimed that a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions simply won't work.

Mr William Kovacs told the Washington Times that whatever mandate was agreed by the Senate in the next few weeks as it considers imposing further limits on emissions, would ultimately prove ineffectual.

He claims that there is a major flaw in such 'fixative' thinking, arguing that the technology needed to stabilize global atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide does not currently exist.

Mr Kovacs believes that all existing technologies simply create further problems or see their benefits outweighed by their drawbacks.

Using the fuel cell car as an example, Mr Kovacs argues that attempts to protect the environment in such a way are often self-defeating.

'The demand for platinum to be used in the fuel cells of all the millions of tomorrow's cars far exceeds the world supply of platinum,' he claims.

According to the vice president a superior alternative would be to adopt a far-reaching 'Marshall Plan' for developing advanced carbon emissions-free technologies that are not now available.