By Ben Garside and Barbara Lewis STRASBOURG/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union politicians rejected a plan to prop up the world's biggest carbon market on Tuesday, sending it plunging to a new record low and raising questions about its survival. After months of bitter debate, a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg rejected by 19 votes a Commission proposal to remove temporarily some of the oversupply that has overwhelmed the market for permits to emit carbon dioxide.

European lawmakers narrowly rejected Tuesday controversial plans to make polluters pay more in a bid to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, blamed for global warming. The European Commission launched the plan last year, hoping that by reducing the number of pollution credits available under its Emissions Trading System (ETS), their price would rise. If their price could be increased, then it would be financially more attractive for companies to invest in new clean technology rather than continue polluting.

Six EU states, including powerhouse Germany, called on European lawmakers Friday to back efforts to revive a faltering market in pollution credits so as to bolster the bloc's fight against global warming. Environment ministers from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden said "eight years of efforts" were at risk if the European Parliament rejects the plan in a plenary vote on Tuesday. The European People's Party, the largest group in parliament, has said it will do just that because it opposes market intervention which could lead to higher overall costs.

Senate standing committee on climate change Monday apprised that Pakistan is ranked among top ten countries worst hit by impacts of climate change in shape of severe floods, torrential rains, rise in temperature and cyclones. The Committee highlighted vulnerability of the country due to increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters in the country, which are being caused due to changing and unpredictable weather patterns. The committee met here under the chair of Senator Dr.Saeeda Iqbal who emphasized to work together with civil society organizations to mitigate these i