Eric Goldstein, the environment director of the NRDC, welcomed the ban.
By 2020, we switch on the lights," said Hela Cheikhrouhou, energy and environment director for the African Development Bank.
Stavros Dimas, environment director general of the European Union, said, "We are determined despite economic surprises to deal with climate change".
Simon Pryor, natural environment director at the National Trust, concurred: "This report shows that government should take the time to get biodiversity offsetting right.
Mick Lovatt, environment director at the city council in Preston said it had already drawn up plans for further improvement to the city centre which a successful bid could kick-start.
"We hope these discussions will help find a practical solution and quickly reduce these deaths and horrific injuries to marine mammals that no seafarer would wish to see happen," said the chamber's environment director, David Balston.
Nicola Walker, business environment director for the CBI, said: "It is essential that any reform of the current system doesn't add complexity to the UK's tax regime or unduly burden key sectors of the economy, like manufacturers".
The council said there is a "significant amount of missing mass" in the area next to the original hole, and Rob Smith, the council's deputy environment director told the BBC: "We don't know where the centre of the anomaly is but it tells us there is something there that requires further investigation".
The shortlist was welcomed by Ingrid Samuel, historic environment director at the National Trust: "We know it can be a big challenge for modern infrastructure to work in harmony with the landscape but it can be done when people work together to find the best solution".
With a straight face, the city's environment director says, "These are not flaky items.
The authority's environment director John Flower said: "The weather is not helping".
