The government's long awaited review of energy policy concludes that 20 per cent of Britain's energy needs should be met by the sun, wind and waves by 2020, according to today's Independent which says it has seen a leaked copy of the report.

The review - by the government's Performance and Innovation Unit, based in Downing Street - warns that the plan to switch to renewables could increase domestic electricity bills by between five and six per cent. The leaked report concludes that reducing global warming is likely to be "the key task of energy policy" in the future.

Meanwhile, the prime minister was criticised by environmental groups for holding a thirty five minute meeting in Downing Street with Lee Raymond, the chairman of Exxon-Mobil, which runs Esso. Raymond is seen as one of the key movers behind President Bush's decision to reject the Kyoto Protocol.