Miliband hints at protection for aviation and low income families in new energy strategy

Further details of the government's imminent renewable energy and low carbon strategy emerged today after energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband hinted that the new white papers would not demand deep emission cuts from the aviation industry and would contain measures to protect poorer families from higher bills.

In an interview with The Guardian ahead of the release tomorrow of the government's new strategy, Miliband suggested that the government would not move to drive up the cost of flying in an attempt to curb emissions from the sector, arguing that other parts of the economy will be able to compensate for aviation's failure to deliver deep cuts in emissions.

"Where I disagree with other people on aviation is if you did 80% cuts across the board, as some people have called for on aviation, you would go back to 1974 levels of flying," he said. "I don't want to have a situation where only rich people can afford to fly."

He refused to be drawn on the details of the new strategy, as it is to be presented to Parliament before it is released tomorrow. However, he hinted that the focus would be on highlighting the benefits that come from developing a low carbon economy.

He also predicted that the formal adoption of carbon budgets, which will form a key part of the new strategy, will have a major impact on the public sector's efforts to cut carbon emissions.

"Every major policy will be scrutinised for its carbon impact," he told the newspaper. "Government will have to operate within a carbon budget in the same way it has to operate in a financial budget. If we go over the carbon budget, there will be financial penalties – that is going to be a big cultural change across government."

The government is also reportedly planning to limit the impact of rising energy bills on low income families by introducing a compulsory "social tariff" that would require energy firms to offer lower prices to the worst off households.

The government has dismissed reports that an increase in renewable energy capacity will result in an average increase of up to £230 a year for domestic energy bills by 2020, but maintains that energy bills are likely to rise over the next decade regardless of whether or not investment in renewables increases.