By Felicity Bradstock
Publication Date: 2025-11-16 16:00:00
Since the Labor Party came to power in the UK in July 2024, there has been a major shift in the government’s approach to energy. The UK is now rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels to green alternatives, with ambitious climate targets set for the end of the decade and mid-century. Ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil this month, Prime Minister Kier Starmer reaffirmed his commitment to creating a green economy, while UK energy minister Ed Miliband said we must not give up on tackling global warming.
In 2019, the UK announced the goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The government subsequently outlined how it plans to achieve this goal in its 2025 plan. Carbon budget and growth plan.
Energy-related emissions It contributed 81 percent of all UK emissions in 2023.which arose from the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity and heat for industry and buildings, as well as for transportation. While energy supply and industry-related emissions have fallen by 76 percent and 60 percent, respectively, since the 1990s, emissions from buildings and transportation have declined modestly, by 33 percent and 15 percent, respectively. However, the government has set ambitious targets for its renewable energy capacity over the next decade.
Wind power is the dominant source of renewable energy in the UK and will contribute 30 per cent of electricity supply by 2023. There is currently 15 GW of offshore wind capacity, which the government aims to increase to between 43 and 50 GW by 2030. It also aims to increase onshore wind capacity from 15 GW to between 27 and 29 GW, and solar from 16 GW to between 45 and 47 GW in 2030. There are also ambitious plans to expand the country’s battery storage capacity, as well as the green hydrogen and sustainable fuels industries.
The Labor government has backtracked on the previous Conservative government’s oil and gas commitments in favor of clean energy sources from 2024, including renewables and nuclear power. While this has pleased environmentalists, the fossil fuel industry and other critics have said this rapid shift away from fossil fuels could harm the economy.
Ahead of this month’s COP30 climate summit, Starmer promised to tackle the climate crisis and said the transition to a low-carbon economy will reduce bills, improve economic growth and bring national renewal. star saying“Britain is not waiting to act; we are leading the way, as we promised. Clean energy doesn’t just mean energy security, so Putin can’t put his boot down our throats: it means lower bills for working families everywhere in the UK.”
The UK Prime Minister is expected to announce new investments in the low carbon economy, aimed at improving economic growth, as well as encourage greater investment in the UK market at COP30. As seen in the US in the Biden era, the UK’s green economy has been growing three times faster than other sectorsthanks to the government’s commitment to a green transition.
“Critics who say climate action can’t boost the economy are dead wrong,” Starmer said. “This Government has already delivered £50bn of clean energy investment since the election, and there will be more to come, creating jobs and opportunities now and for generations to come. That is national renewal.”
Meanwhile, this month, Energy Minister Ed Miliband spoke of the importance of tackling climate change. “We are not going to give up and the progress we have already made should encourage us,” he said. saying. “Giving up would be a total betrayal. Defeatism never took even a single fraction of a degree of global warming. It never created a single job. It never did anything.”
As the international community falls behind in its goals to limit global warming, Miliband offered words of encouragement to the community, as well as members of his party. “We have to be bearers of hope,” Miliband said. “We can fight back. The climate is a strength (in the battle against far-right populism), not a weakness. Our goal is to provide a better future for people’s children and grandchildren.”
This outlook is supported by the significant shift in international energy trends, with renewable energy attracting around double global investment of fossil fuels. Additionally, some of the world’s largest carbon emitters, such as Porcelain and India, are investing heavily in expanding their renewable energy capacity.
In the UK, Miliband has been vocal on the need to support a green transition to guarantee the country’s future energy security and address climate change. When Labor came to power in July 2024, Miliband responded to the opposition indicating“We will make tough decisions with ambition and urgency – all part of our plan to make the UK a clean energy superpower.”
The Energy Minister has since doubled down on his decisions to develop several large-scale renewable energy projects across the UK after years of delays under the Conservative government, making his stance on the green transition very clear.
Having introduced ambitious climate targets for the next decade and developed a roadmap to achieve these goals, the UK is entering COP30 as one of the world’s leaders in renewable energy. Starmer is likely to seek greater levels of private investment in UK green energy and clean technologies from other global powers. However, to demonstrate the country’s dedication to the global battle against climate change, it must commit to supporting an international, and not just domestic, green transition.
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
More Oilprice.com Top Reads
Oil Price Intelligence It brings you the signs before they become headline news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it for free, twice a week, and you’ll always know why the market moves before everyone else.
You’ll get the geopolitical intelligence, hidden inventory data, and market rumors that move billions, and we’ll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join over 400,000 readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here.
