Union calls to balance green books

Endorsing an executive committee motion with friendly amendments from several union branches, conference resolved to make the case for clean coal technology, end Britain's reliance on imported oil and move towards a low carbon economy.

Delegates also discussed the recent Copenhagen summit, which failed to produce a legally binding accord on tackling climate change and how low carbon public transport could be developed.

Moving the EC motion assistant general secretary Manuel Cortes made the link between global poverty and the destruction of the environment by "unaccountable" private companies.

"Free market capitalism is not only failing the poorest in the world economically. It is also undermining the fragile ecological system," he said.

Calling for the full utilisation of "indigenous energy resources" in Britain, Mr Cortes said the economic crisis presented an opportunity to invest in sustainable energy reserves.

"We need greener energy but need to improve the lot of working people," he said.

"That is why we must maintain the current living standards with further development in carbon capture technology and storage for coal."

"Two wars in Iraq have been fought in the last 10 years for vast oil reserves. This is morally indefensible and has been economically disastrous. We must break our dependency on oil."

But Mr Cortes stopped short of endorsing nuclear power, quoting a Greenpeace study which torpedoed the lie that it is "carbon neutral."

Some delegates expressed reservations at further promotion of clean coal technology.

Unsuccessfully seconding an amendment to remove the reference to promoting clean coal, Yorkshire North delegate David Howarth said the EC would be overturning last year's policy, which opposed more clean coal.

South Eastern Kent delegate Ian McDonald expressed doubts over the "untested" technology.

But Mr Cortes retorted: "It is now working and yes the EC has changed its position."

"In Germany by 2015 their new clean coal facility will be able to reduce carbon emissions by 95 per cent."

"The few miners that are left and the whole TUC family is behind this approach because it is a sensible balanced policy," he added.