If there was a common theme amongst the keynote speakers up in Manchester this week, it was the need for a narrative.

And it was the good man Tony Juniper, recently appointed Chairman of Action for Renewables, who led the charge.

In an impassioned fifteen-minute speech he spoke of the need to tell the story of the green boom; showcasing new contract wins, celebrating job creation and confounding the critics.

For too long – he said – the sector had shied away from talking up the benefits of the UK renewable energy market and for too long, the industry had let other people set the agenda. This, combined with a sceptical UK Treasury and governmental departments that are keen to help but that freely admit don’t always have the answers, has created a bit of a pickle.

In short, without clear action and without a clear and consistent set of communications – he argued – the UK market was in danger of losing its way.

We couldn’t agree more. While the UK – for the moment at least – leads the world in the development and roll out of offshore wind, we all have to learn to tell better stories and to find our voice.

That means starting to talk confidently and consistently about the opportunities that exist within all areas of the wind energy market. However, it does also require something else.

It requires the ability for each and every one of us to contextualise what we do and why we do it.

Forget the sales and marketing speak – why does what we do really matter? And how does it help the industry to develop, innovate and grow?

Tony talked about telling tales and we’ve simply got to start telling them. After all, it’s only by doing this that we can truly win over the hearts and minds of the great British public. The future success of each and every one of the businesses working in the renewable energy industry depends on it.