The government was today criticised by environmentalists over its latest plans for more coal power stations.

Last night, the Government announced the publication of a consultation on carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Robin Oakley, the head of Greenpeace's climate and energy campaign, said:

"Coal burning is the single greatest threat to our climate, and this announcement does nothing to change that. It's nothing more than a smokescreen.

"This short-sighted push to approve a new fleet of coal plants is totally at odds with the encouraging renewable energy package released last week, and it exposes the incoherence of the Government's approach to energy policy.

"If the Government was serious about tackling climate change caused by coal, it should set tough limits on emissions from power stations similar to those already in place in California and supported by both the Tories and the Lib Dems."

Greenpeace press office: 020 7865 8255

A call by David Cameron's favourite think tank for a radical new approach to UK energy policy was today echoed by the UK's biggest green groups. Policy Exchange is calling for the kind of greenhouse gas efficiency standard that is applied to cars to now be applied to power stations. The call comes on the same day that Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth and the RSPB released a joint recommendation for the introduction of a tough new performance standard of 350g of CO2 per kilowatt hour for power plants.

If adopted, the standard would make it very difficult for a government to allow the building of a series of new coal-fired power stations, which are backed by Labour.

The debate around new coal is at a key juncture as John Hutton considers proposals from German energy giant E.ON to build the first new unabated coal-fired power station in Britain for three decades at Kingsnorth in Kent. A standard like the one proposed today would deter decisions that ‘lock in' high carbon projects like new coal plants such as Kingsnorth, which if approved could pollute at high levels for up to fifty years, and undermine Britain's international credibility on climate change.

Robin Oakley, head of the climate campaign for Greenpeace UK, said: "John Hutton could send a signal that the UK is committed to tackling climate change by adopting this idea of a greenhouse gas standard that rules out the most climate wrecking power plants. Standards like this already exist in California ensuring that coal plants like Kingsnorth cannot be built. This standard would focus investment on implementing the real solutions to climate change and energy security - energy efficiency and renewable energy. Britain should follow California's lead."

He added: "A consensus is emerging that the emissions trading scheme alone will not bring about the transition to a low-carbon energy system that is needed. Additional measures like setting a greenhouse gas standard should help put Britain on the right path."

Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change at WWF-UK said: "Carbon capture and storage might well have some role in meeting deep emission reduction targets. But building new coal stations now without even the flimsiest of guarantees that full-scale CCS would ever be fitted is a reckless gamble that neither the climate nor the taxpayer can afford. An emissions performance standard would head off this risk, reinforce the EU emissions trading scheme and help put the UK on the path to a truly sustainable energy system."

Ruth Davis, Head of the climate campaign for the RSPB, said: "Dangerous climate change spells disaster for the world's ecosystems and the millions of people who depend upon them. To play out part in tackling the problem will require a revolution in our energy system. Setting a greenhouse gas standard that rules out the dirtiest forms of power generation is the first step towards that revolution -and an essential one if the UK wishes to safeguard its wildlife, and build a strong, green economy for the future."

Robin Webster, head of the climate campaign for FoE, said: "It's vital that the industrialised world takes the lead in making radical cuts in climate changing emissions. Now is the time to make it happen - through energy efficiency, greener transport and a massive expansion of renewable power. Building coal plants without a greenhouse gas standard would lock us into our addiction to fossil fuels and the environmental devastation it would cause."

ENDS

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Prince Charles today raised serious doubts over proposals to build new, conventional coal fired power stations like one currently being considered by the government at Kingsnorth in Kent.

In a speech to the European parliament, the prince slammed the idea of "business as usual" coal fired generation asking, "Can we really understand the dynamics of a world in which energy and food security will become real issues for everyone? ... Can we possibly allow twenty years of business as usual before coal powered generation becomes clean? Are we truly investing enough in renewable energy?"

The UK government is currently considering whether to approve plans for Kingsnorth, which would be the first coal fired power station to be built in the UK for over thirty years. The prince's intervention comes just weeks before the decision is expected - documents obtained by Greenpeace under the Freedom of Information act show that E.ON, the power company behind the plans, expects "a positive determination" on this by the end of April. (1)

The plant will not be built with CCS (clean coal) technology in place at the outset. In fact, the same FoI documents show how far the Government are from demanding this. Until clean coal is developed, Kingsnorth will be a "business as usual" plant.

Jim Hansen, NASA's leading climate scientist, recently described Kingsnorth as "a terrible idea", while last year former vice president Al Gore asked "why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power stations." (2)

Responding to the prince's speech, Greenpeace Climate campaigner Joss Garman said:

"For Prince Charles to intervene in this way while the government considers the first new coal fired power station in thirty years is hugely significant. He now joins the ranks of Al Gore, NASA's top climate scientist and the leader of the opposition in recognising that conventional coal plants like the one planned for Kingsnorth in Kent would be a disaster for the climate."

For more contact Greenpeace on 0207 865 8255.

(1) To view these documents visit www.greenpeace.org.uk/coalsecrets
(2) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17718399/