Conservatives and Lib Dems unveil environmental agreement

The newly formed Conservative Party and Liberal Democrat coalition government unveiled its key environmental policies yesterday, pledging continued support for green energy and cancellation of any new UK airport runways.

Among the two parties’ negotiation agreement, published on the Liberal Democrat’s official web site, was a cancellation of controversial plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport and a refusal of any expansion of Gatwick and Stansted. The proposal takes a more hardened stance than the previous government on the increase in air travel in the UK.

Yet the two parties have assured support for many green policies championed by Labour. These include the establishment of a smart grid and the roll-out of smart meters and the continuation of the government’s proposals for public sector investment in CCS technology for four coal-fired power stations.

Their agreement also sets out to follow through on the creation of a green investment bank, which was an idea first proposed in former Chancellor Alistair Darling’s budget this year.