Regulating companies on green issues is not anti-business, says Lord Deben

Chair of UK's climate change advisers says business wants environmental regulation, and calls for return to cross-party consensus on green agenda

Regulating companies on their environmental performance is not anti-business, the chairman of the government's committee on climate change has said, but is what companies want as they seek clarity in making their investments.

Lord Deben, former Conservative environment minister and now chairman of the committee set up to be statutory advisors to ministers on how to meet the UK's emissions targets, said that as a businessman, he and others wanted clear and fair regulation on green issues. This is in contrast with the view of the Chancellor, George Osborne, who has described green rules as a "burden" on the economy.