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The Liberal Democrat leader has pledged to ban electricity generation from unabated coal by 2025.
Closing the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow on Wednesday, Nick Clegg confirmed his party’s ambition to introduce the ban as part of the party’s five green laws.
The deputy prime minister confirmed that the pledges, which were made in the party’s pre-manifesto at the start of September, will be a key part of their general election campaign.
The green laws include: a ‘Zero Carbon Britain Bill’, which would introduce a decarbonisation target for electricity generation and ban electricity generation from unabated coal; a ‘Heating and Energy Efficiency Bill’ – which would create a national programme to raise the energy efficiency standards for all Britain’s households; a ‘Green Transport Bill’ which would only allow low emission vehicles on the roads from 2040; as well as a ‘Nature Bill’ and a ‘Zero Waste Britain Bill’.
The Lib Dem leader said that it has taken “constant pressure” from his party – and in particular energy secretary Ed Davey – “to hold the Tories to their word” on the green commitments made by the government.
He also took a swipe at prime minister David Cameron who reportedly referred to the government’s green levies on energy bills as ‘green crap’, saying: “It’s not green crap to us.”
Clegg’s pledges, and attack on the Conservatives, echoed Davey’s speech where he singled out Tory communities secretary Eric Pickles for “preventing Britain getting the green power revolution it needs”.
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