Britain has not yet determined how much energy it plans to obtain from renewable sources such as wind and sun by 2020. Industry experts are concerned that the lack of ambition may hinder progress. European Union leaders agreed to a mandatory target in March for 20% of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020, but did not allocate specific targets to each member state. Tough discussions are expected before a decision in January, and the renewable energy industry in Britain is worried about the country's low targets. The Renewable Energy Association in Britain expressed concerns about the negative attitude towards renewables in the UK. Renewable energy is better for the environment but is more costly than traditional fossil fuels, therefore requiring support in research, development, and installation to encourage investment and reduce costs. Greene referred to EU data that indicated Britain obtained 1.8 percent of its energy from renewable sources in 2005, while the EU-27 average was 6.7 percent. The UK government confirmed its commitment to the EU 20 percent target but stated that they are still in the process of determining how to achieve it. Despite announcing that current policies would allow for 5 percent renewable energy by 2020, Britain acknowledged the EU target as ambitious. Leaked documents revealed that the government estimates it would cost up to 4.4 billion pounds annually by 2020 to double the renewable energy share to 10 percent. The documents indicated that Britain preferred a flexible approach to reaching targets, such as utilizing a method similar to carbon offsetting where you pay another party to install renewable energy on your behalf. EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs recently expressed support for a trading approach where wealthier EU countries invest in renewable energy in less affluent member states. This proposal received a varied response from renewable energy companies.