FORMER environment secretary Owen Paterson sparked outrage yesterday by demanding the Climate Change Act be shelved in favour of “common sense” energy policies including fracking.

Well-known Tory climate change sceptic Mr Paterson called for the suspension of the Act, which imposes binding targets for the reduction of emissions, until it could be seen how the rest of the world, including developing countries such as China, were responding.

He said that his plans, which included shale gas exploitation, development of small nuclear plants and use of technology to moderate demand by temporarily switching off appliances such as fridges, were “true Conservative policies.”

The North Shropshire MP said that there was “extraordinarily strong opposition” in rural areas to existing government policies and claimed that he was acting as a “candid friend” to PM David Cameron.

However, Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said that binning the Climate Change Act would be “one of the most stupid economic decisions imaginable.”