Laura Sandys: Heavy industry must lead the renewables rush

There are few terms in today's industrial dictionary so ill-defined as the catch-all "green economy". Most activities of a truly green economy are not green per se – the heavy manufacturing of turbine blades is not exactly green.

But let no one say that energy-intensive industries are not committed to lower energy inputs. They are the ones biting the hands off producers of technologies that reduce their energy consumption; they are at the forefront of trying to reduce energy costs.

The "green" community is sometimes accused of living in a parallel universe to those who will bear the brunt of any green tax or low-carbon incentive. We must confront this myth and break down these barriers because it is much more important for those industries that consume the most to be at the heart of any industrial redesign. It is their productivity, their competitiveness and the resilience of the jobs they create that will make for a truly vibrant green economy.

Laura Sandys is Conservative MP for South Thanet