The US House of Representatives has passed a climate change bill aimed at reducing the country’s emissions. The legislation will put curbs on pollution and apply market principles to attempts to tackle global warming. It was passed by a narrow margin of 219 votes to 212. President Barack Obama said the vote represented “enormous progress”. But the bill still has to be passed by the US Senate before it can become law, and it faces another tough fight.

“Today the House of Representatives took historic action with the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act,” Mr Obama said after the vote.

“It’s a bold and necessary step that holds the promise of creating new industries and millions of new jobs, decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”