Ensuring sustainable energy and resources in the future is all about how you find the economic models to support these activities. The Tories have done what Labour has failed to do — communicate a plan on how to make cleantech and clean energy an attractive business opportunity for everyone. If the public understands the plan, then we would for the first time have some green leadership.

There will be problems with this model — it’s an idea scenario and there are a million hurdles. For example, not only is nuclear unpopular with the public, but it takes many years to get a power station up and running. Carbon taxes will also face many millions of pounds of public affairs and lobbying opposition from those whose business it will hurt.

For many years, Sweden has had a plan to be independent of fossil fuels for 2020. The UK is only just issuing targets and finding the business models to support a move to a cleaner and more efficient infrastructure.

So while it is good that the UK now has some cleantech business proposals to boost the economy, from a sustainability and world perspective, we are not yet a leader in this field and will struggle to be for some years yet.

Editor’s note: This is a commentary by Greenbang founder and editor-in-chief Dan Ilett in response to today’s announced proposal by the Tories for a carbon tax on electricity generation.

• Australia moves close to enacting a carbon tax
• Climate expert: don’t trade carbon, tax it