With climate change highlighting renewable energy as an industry for the future, and the emphasis it was given in the UK's presidencies of both the G8 and EU, you might have expected a boom in UK renewable energy. Especially as we have some of the leading developers and best resources. Yet renewable energy in the UK has been surprisingly slow to take off. So, while the government promotes global action on Climate Change, The Environment Council has been helping address key issues at a local level.

In partnership with Renewable Energy Systems Group and with joint funding from the Department of Trade and Industry, The Environment Council ran training workshops in each of the eight English regions, aimed at helping those at the regional and local levels build their capacity for effective community involvement. Developed around Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy, the workshops were a great success and an invaluable introduction to community engagement and its application.

The Environment Council has published a report: 'Renewable Energy and Community Involvement', which includes the main findings and recommendations arising from the workshops. The report is free to download, and if you would like a copy of any of the regional workshop reports, presentations or articles mentioned in this report, please email Erica Sutton  or contact her at The Environment Council on 0207 632 0117.