Labour’s next manifesto will include a commitment to decarbonise the UK’s energy sector by 2030, the party announced this week.

Shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex made the announcement at RenewableUK’s annual offshore wind conference in Manchester.

It comes two weeks after the failure of an amendment to introduce the target into law during the third reading of the Energy Bill in the House of Commons.

Greatrex said: “Labour will continue to push for a 2030 target as it’s absolutely crucial to give the renewable energy sector for long term certainty.

“ Today I can announce that that if we don't get that target set in the Energy Bill, it will be in Labour’s manifesto for the next general election”.

RenewableUK chief executive Maria McCaffery said: “RenewableUK hopes that all political parties will appreciate the necessity for this, so that a cross-party consensus can be reached swiftly to set a 2030 decarbonisation target.

“This would send a strong signal to the wind, wave and tidal energy industries, and crucially to investors, to press ahead with projects as a matter of priority”.

The government’s is opposing the measure and has included a clause in the bill that would rule out the setting of a target until 2016 at the earliest.