Ministers in London have at last begun preparing their response to last December’s Turner Report on how to organise at least an 80% reduction in UK GHG emissions by mid-century. Power generation, and coal in particular, is at the heart of the debate.

In today’s Guardian here, the government signals for the first time that it is seriously looking at new options for CCS policy. This more rational engagement in policy follows an incoherent outing by Milliband-The-Younger in the Financial Times just before the Christmas holiday period.

Turner said on 1 December that the EU ETS need “buttressing” by other policies, including permiting policy (for new projects) and potential a CO2 emissions standard on certain types of installation. The formal response to Turner is due by the summer.