Two reports released recently outline the scale and diversity of renewable energy spending worldwide in 2010. This is only over a 1 year period, but still provides an interesting snapshot of where we are.  The first, UNEP’s Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment, shows around $211bn invested in renewable energy and fuel last year, $48bn of which was in China alone.

The Energy and Climate Minister, Greg Barker, has said that Britain has underestimated the potential of solar energy and the contribution that it can make. "Solar is now going through an extraordinary stage of development ... it's capable of scaling up and competing with the big boys. It's not just for enthusiasts.

The Energy Bill has its second reading in the House of Commons today, and an impressive coalition of different organisations has formed to lobby MPs to Demand a Better Bill. They include Ashden Award winner CSE, Islington Council (who are doing excellent work on home energy efficiency), Federation of Master Builders, RIBA, Travis Perkins, three supermarkets (M&S, Asda, The Co-operative), UNISON and environmental NGOs.