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Challenge to coalition to make Huhne's green promises reality
21 September 2010
Commenting on Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne's speech to the Liberal Democrat party conference today, Friends of the Earth's Parliamentary campaigner Martyn Williams said:
"Chris Huhne is right to say that being the greenest government ever is a necessity - but the real challenge is whether he can deliver these ambitious plans when his coalition partners are poised to slash his budget in next month's spending review.
"There are already concerns that Treasury cuts could hit existing policies to support renewable heat and electricity, as well as energy efficiency programmes like the Warm Front scheme.
"Huhne is going to have his work cut out to ensure these bold plans become reality - how green this Government truly is will be put to the test in the imminent spending review and Energy Bill."
Friends of the Earth is calling for:
- guaranteed funding of at least £2 billion a year for the Green Investment Bank;
- at least £60 million investment in an essential ports upgrade to handle shipping out offshore wind turbine parts, as pledged by last Government;
- the feed-in tariff scheme to be kept intact and the Renewable Heat Incentive introduced in April 2011 as promised;
- the Government to ensure emissions from power stations are capped with an Emissions Performance Standard in the forthcoming Energy Bill;
- local carbon budgets for every council area to help them cut carbon emissions;
- the Government to guarantee there is no public subsidy for new nuclear power stations;
- no more polluting incinerators to be built;
- an end to further high risk deep sea drilling for North Sea oil.
ENDS
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Sep 2010
