12 August 2011 Last updated at 05:00 ET

Isle of Man 'lagging behind' on green energy

The Isle of Man government is "lagging behind" in the race to reduce dependency on gas and oil, according to Friends of the Earth.

Head of Climate Policy Mike Childs said despite a huge potential for development, the island has made little advances in creating energy security.

Mr Childs has been visiting the island for a debate on climate change.

The government believes more research is needed before decisions can be taken.

Mr Childs said: "If you look to Scotland, the government is investing very much in renewables, they see it as a way forward.

"There doesn't seem to be that same forward thinking in the Isle of Man."

In January, Department of Energy, Food and Agriculture (Defa) Minister John Shimmin confirmed the government would make no firm decisions on renewable energy solutions until next year.

He said more research was required before his department could identify the right way forward.

Last year, the government commissioned an energy report from consultants which detailed various options for the Island.

The report underlined significant investment would be needed for the Isle of Man to achieve its target of having 15% of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2015.