A LEADING Green party politician has warned the public risks being duped by a "bidding war" among the main parties to be seen to be the most environmentally-friendly.

Kent Green MEP Dr Caroline welcomed the publication of a report by leading economist Sir Nicholas Stern that has suggested that could shrink the global economy by a fifth.

However, she cautioned: "It is very difficult to know what the mainstream parties are talking about. What we have is a bidding war between the parties to be seen to the greenest but it can be very confusing for the public.

"The danger is that if, among all this political sound and fury, the other parties persuade us that they are doing something when they are not."

Sir Nicholas Stern’s report says taking action to address climate change now would cost just one per cent of the global gross domestic product.

Ms Green welcomed the thrust of the report, saying it was important that it was headed by a respected economist and its message that "action is going to cost less than inaction" ought to be taken seriously by businesses.

"This is not a report from the usual suspects but one from one of the world’s most respected economists and for that reason, it will carry extra weight and mean it will be taken more seriously. It really is ‘now or never.’ There are strong economic arguments for moving now and we need to position the country at the forefront of new green technology."

But she warned: "What we need to see is action within days and months, not in years to come."

Tony Blair said the Stern review showed the scientific evidence of global warming was "overwhelming" and its consequences "disastrous."