China knocked the United Kingdom out of the top five countries considered most attractive for investment in renewable energy, according to a quarterly report released by Ernst & Young. In fact, the two countries simply switched places–the UK is now listed at six, just behind Spain (tied for fourth with China). The report says the UK fell off the top five due to “the long timeframe to implement its recent proposals.” It goes on to note that the timeframe coincides with the next election which may make it difficult to implement all of the planned initiatives.

The Financial Times points out that the drop in stature may not be as much to do with the UK as it is with China:

Gordon Edge, director of economics and markets at the British Wind Energy Association, said the report was unfair on the UK: “I think this report says more about China than it does about the UK.”

The improvement in China’s score is partly down (sic) to the country’s renewable energy policy, which aims to generate 15 per cent of energy from non-carbon sources by 2020. The government’s focus on infrastructure had made China especially attractive for investors, Mr Edge said.

The United States tops off the list, though its future remains uncertain due in part to the upcoming election, according to the report.