The UK government will push the European Union to up its greenhouse has emission cuts to 30 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, rather than the current 20 percent target.

The new government, led by Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, has indicated is aims to achieve the higher cuts partly through more support for renewable energy. This would come partly through the introduction of feed-in tariffs, encouraging early adoption of technologies that at present cost more than fossil-fuel generation.

“It’s good news,” Bryony Worthington, founder and director of the campaign group Sandbag, who developed the policy of carbon budgets adopted by the Labour government, told the BBC. “We needed the UK to be strong on this and there was some doubt about whether the government would push for 30 percent, which is badly needed.”

She added: “If we stay at 20 percent, there doesn’t appear to be any extra effort needed and that doesn’t sit well for the EU.”

The new government would also seek to set a “floor price” for carbon and establish a bank to stimulate “green” investment.