European Commission president José Manuel Barroso is following the UK example and splitting the environment and climate change portfolios, and Danish climate and energy minister Connie Hedegaard is likely to become the new climate commissioner. The UK created the Department of Energy and Climate Change in 2008, leaving Defra with responsibility for most other “environmental” issues, including waste and pollution. Two years on and many would say the split has been a success as it has given greater urgency to government policies to tackle climate change: a commitment to higher emission reduction targets and the first carbon budgets, for example, have been achieved by Ed Miliband. Many in Europe will hope for similar progress with the creation of two separate departments. However, some MEPs are against the split, fearing it will reduce the link between climate change and other environmental concerns, preferring instead the creation of a more powerful environment department with an additional commissioner focused exclusively on climate policy. Mr Barroso’s new team will take office in January.