In 2003 the UK Government introduced the reduction Of CO2 emissions as a core objective of domestic energy policy. This initiated a policy process intended to realise a major expansion in the supply and use of biomass in the UK. Evidence of an expansion in the use of biomass is slight, and historically the UK has shown limited response to policy initiatives. This paper describes the policy context in the UK and EU, and presents a structured framework for analysing the policy debate including best practice criteria for policy formation. This framework is then used to assess whether the current debate is likely to affect the rate of implementation. We conclude that increased deployment will be driven by EU policy rather than domestic initiatives, and that the UK policy process falls short of best practice in that it fails to make a causal link between policy objectives and anticipated outcomes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.