More than half of the firms listed on London's leading FTSE 100 Index have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, the British government said on Thursday.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said 60 blue chip firms had signed up to the UN's global "Race to Zero" campaign.

The companies, including some of Britain's largest, represent a total market capital of more than �1.2 trillion and a combined annual turnover of �700 billion, it added.

Business and Industry minister Lee Rowley said more than 2,500 UK companies had joined the UN initiative, which has 5,200 participants globally.

The announcement follows government plans outlined on Tuesday to persuade financial institutions and listed companies to outline their net-zero plans.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, currently hosting the UN climate change summit in Glasgow, wants the UK economy to be carbon neutral by the middle of the century.

But environmental campaigners criticised ministers for not making it compulsory for banks and other listed firms to publish their so-called "transition plans".

That left them free to continue financing high-polluting hydrocarbon-related projects, and only give lip service to greening their activities, they added.

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