Although purse belts have tightened in the recession, growth agendas have to include green technologies. These were the words of LSE academic Michael Jacobs, speaking at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership event in London today.

Mr Jacobs, of the Grantham Institute which specialises in climate change research said: “The economic downturn clearly has had an impact on the investment people are making and on the politics. Its got harder… I believe we’ve come to a fork in the road.”

With a global climate change agreement yet to be set in stone and fossil fuels still dominating the world’s energy generation, many are concerned that the environment is slipping down the Government’s priority list.

And the UK’s 20% renewable targets don’t go far enough Mr Jacobs claims.

He said pushing for harder targets would be good in the long term: “In order to give a kick to the low carbon economy we need to move to 30%… Its clear we have to make these decisions but Europe isn’t ready to do it.”