Mr Wood has joined more than 250 MPs who have signed a parliamentary petition (Early Day Motion 736) calling for the Bill to include carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation and set a tougher 80 per cent target for cutting carbon dioxide by 2050.

The Climate Change Bill, due to become law by summer, will set binding targets for cutting carbon dioxide. But there is growing pressure on the government to strengthen the proposals. Campaigners, scientists, an influential UN report and now MPs are warning the Bill must be tougher if it is to successfully tackle climate change.

Top of the list of improvements they say are needed are a toughening up of the overall target to an 80 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2050 and making sure emissions from international flights are included in the Bill.

Tony Juniper, Friends of the Earth director, said: "We are delighted Mr Wood is supporting calls for a tougher Climate Change Bill.

"Having a climate law that doesn't include our share of international aviation emissions is like having a drink driving law that ignores the effects of whisky."

Mr Wood said: "Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity at the moment and my own constituents have made it clear they feel this threat as keenly here in Batley and Spen as anywhere in the UK and beyond. The Climate Change Bill is a bold attempt to address the threat of climate change, but the reality of that threat is we must reduce all our emissions by the amount dictated by the latest science.

"The advice from top climate scientists and the UN is we must hit a target of 80 per cent reductions by 2050, and include emissions from international aviation and shipping."