Think tank faults UK government for inconsistency in commitment to green policies

An influential think-tank has faulted the UK government for failing to provide consistent commitment and support to companies trying to switch to a low-carbon future, in paper published today.

According to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), ministers now needed to deliver a clear message in support of the green technology revolution to provide industry with the confidence to invest in it.

And more damagingly, the IPPR report has accused the government of blowing ''hot and cold'' on its commitment to be the greenest ever and cut carbon emissions.

The findings of today's report, Growing  Pains: British industry and the low-carbon transition, were drawn from a number of private roundtable discussions and interviews with senior executives from different sectors, which focused on the barriers to, and the opportunities presented by, the transition to a low-carbon economy.

According to the findings there were opportunities for UK plc to take advantage of and adapt to the challenges presented by the UK's low-carbon transition, especially in the transport and energy sectors.

However, the findings also highlight the need for policymakers to play a more active role in addressing the barriers to low-carbon growth, which many manufacturing and energy-intensive industries faced in particular.