The government today announced an additional £20m in funding to help cut emissions across Whitehall, despite yesterday voting down Liberal Democrat proposals that the public sector should sign up to the 10:10 campaign to slash emissions 10 per cent during next year.
MPs voted by 297 to 226 votes to reject the Lib Dem proposals, although they secured significant cross-party support, with 63 MPs from other parties voting in favour of the move.
The vote put the government in the awkward position of opposing the popular campaign, despite the fact the cabinet, shadow cabinet and Lib Dems have all signed up to the 10:10 pledge.
During the debate, Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem climate change spokesman, said that the defeat of the bill represented "a bad day for parliament, Labour and the planet", adding that signing up to the target would drive simple emission-saving measures across the public sector and even within Parliament.
"We could have TVs turned off when they're not needed; we could have lights turned off; we could turn off computers," he said. "We could use stairs rather than lifts, and have real water out of taps rather than bottled water out of bottles."
Climate change minister Joan Ruddock argued that signing up the entire government estate to the 10:10 pledge was unviable, but she insisted the government was fully committed to delivering deep cuts in emissions and announced that energy and climate secretary Ed Miliband would co-chair a new Treasury review to identify areas where savings can be achieved.
She also announced an additional £20m in funding to help central government departments cut their carbon footprint.
"We know it's important to show leadership in this area. If we want everyone else to retrofit their homes, it's important that government buildings also get some treatment," she said. "Some of the money will go on energy efficiency, some on smart meters, some on low-carbon cars, and some will go on mapping the possibilities of renewable energy on public land – that will be led by the Forestry Commission."
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