The UK is set to miss its renewable energy targets by a wide
margin – a failure that could result in billions of pounds being
added to energy bills as we rely increasingly on imported gas,
according to a new study. Only 3% of the UK's energy currently
comes from renewable sources, such as sun and wind, compared
with a European average of 12%, despite a series of high-profile
government policies aimed at increasing that percentage. Britain
is committed to producing 15% of its energy from renewable
sources by 2020 – but campaigners say that the government
currently has no prospect of achieving that target. The evidence
that the UK is falling behind will embarrass David Cameron as he
hosts a two-day international meeting on renewables, the Clean
Energy Ministerial, beginning in London on Wednesday. Energy
ministers from the world's 20 biggest economies will be at the
event, where they will discuss strategies for co-operating on
developing low-carbon emission technology and policy. Imported
gas is likely to repre