David Cameron has said the UK has to "go green" in the face of rises in oil prices and the cost of living.
In a speech to environmentalists, Mr Cameron insisted that protecting the environment was a "necessity" and not a "luxury" that could only be afforded in the good times.
The Tory leader vowed his party would not drop its environmental agenda because of the economic downtown - but said he would not neglect the financial pressures on people.
With oil prices approaching 140 dollars (£70), Britain must "wean" itself off fossil fuels, he warned.
And while he stressed his commitment to "green" taxes, he said that he would not ignore the problems created when times are hard.
Cash raised from measures aimed at improving environmental behaviour would be put into a separate "Family Fund" for tax relief for families, he pledged.
"We are not going to drop the environmental agenda in an economic downturn. But neither will we ignore the rising cost of living and the fact that people are hurting," he said.
Outlining the Conservative party's Blue/Green Charter, Mr Cameron called for new standards on carbon emissions to ensure coal-fired power stations could not be built without measures to trap CO2 and to encourage the development of "greener" cars.
He also said he wanted to see greater energy security and that a Tory government would make research and development into tidal power in Britain a priority.
And they would encourage micro-renewables - boosted by feed-in tariffs which would pay people a guaranteed price for small-scale power creation from sources such as wind and solar, he said.
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