Despite the withdrawal of government subsidies, renewable energy is seeing unprecedented growth thanks to falling costs and increased private investment.

With everyone's eyes focused on Brexit and its complexities, along with US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, it is easy to overlook the fact that the renewables sector is booming.

Agenda for Reflections on Renewables Seminar, 16/June/2016, Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2

In accordance with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol industrialised nations pledged to cut their yearly carbon emissions as measured in six greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2% by 2012 as compared to 1990. This equated to a 29% cut in the values that would have otherwise occurred.

Since the decisive Conservative win in the general election, the government has taken a very firm stance on environmental policies, and renewables in particular. In August it launched a consultation paper on feed-in tariffs with proposals to cut them by 87% from 2016. Businesses who have invested in solar farms are likely to be hardest hit by these proposals, as the government plans on removing incentives for large schemes (between 1 and 5 MW).