Renewables consultation sends signal of intent to business

"This is a real statement of intent by government and sends a strong signal to business of its commitment to renewable technologies. However, the clock is now ticking and we cannot afford any let up at a time when other governments have already made this a national priority. We need to move fast if we are to establish a lead as a world centre for low carbon technologies.

"However, given the extent to which other countries are ahead of the curve in developing low carbon forms of energy it is disappointing that the government has failed to back firm words with any significant extra funding, especially for emerging technologies.

"At a time of rapidly rising energy prices business will be concerned by the increasing costs associated with the dash for renewables. Government must ensure this is balanced by accelerating measures to improve energy efficiency and reduce waste."