Labour and Conservative politcians recommend a decarbonisation target is added to the bill
A Brent MP will vote in favour of a forthcoming bill despite the omission of a green target she is claimed to have publicly supported in the past.
Sarah Teather said she is ‘not willing’ to support cross-party demands for an amendment to the Energy Bill which is aimed at delivering low carbon energy.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Brent Central is claimed to have spoken out about her favouring an inclusion of a 2030 decarbonisation in the bill.
In an open letter, co-written by Barry Gardiner, Labour MP for Brent North, and Tim Yeo, Conservative MP for South Suffolk, they are calling for the Liberal Democrat MP for Brent Central to support the changes to the bill.
The changes want the target to be set no later than next year.
The letter says: “Last year you (Ms Teather) made a courageous public statement pledging your support for green jobs and the need for a 2030 decarbonisation target to be included in the Energy Bill.
“Such a target would set the UK on the path to a cleaner economy, create thousands of new jobs and ensure that we meet our legally binding emissions targets.”
Mr Gardiner, who is special envoy for climate change and the environment and Mr Yeo, chairman of the energy and climate change select committee, continue: “As you know the Energy Bill is about to return to the House of Commons for Report Stage but, far from including a decarbonisation target, the Bill actually legislated against such a target being introduced before 2016.
“As a result, we have tabled a cross-party amendment to ensure that a 2030 decarbonisation target is set no later than April next year after the government has been able to take the advice of the independent and authoritative Committee on Climate Change.
“Some of your Liberal Democrat colleagues have already defied your party whips and signed our amendment.
“We write to ask you to honour the pledge you made last year and vote to ensure that a decarbonisation target is set.”
Ms Teather told the Times her and fellow party colleagues had secured an energy bill to tackle climate change ‘head on’ after meeting with stiff opposition from the Conservatives when they tried to include a 2030 decarbonisation target.
She added: “To include it now would risk the defeat of the whole bill and destroy any chance of getting through the rest of the vital measures needed to tackle climate change.
“I am not willing to do that.”
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