Steve Beasant

     Commenting on documents leaked to the BBC that show the UK was trying to exclude aviation from targets to source 20% of all Europe’s energy from renewables by 2020, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said: “Yet again the Government is doing all it can to undermine tough action on climate change.”

“Gordon Brown talked in his conference speech about saving the planet at the same time as his Government is trying to create opt-outs for the biggest polluters.  

“The growth in emissions from aviation is one of the biggest threats to the climate, yet ministers seem to be at the beck and call of the aviation industry.  

“Britain has such a poor record on renewables precisely because of a lack of commitment by successive governments.  This attempt to weasel out of our obligations under the new renewables target shows that nothing has changed.”