Meeting the UK’s Climate Change Ambition: Will Labour Succeed in Achieving Clean Energy by 2030 and Put the UK on Track for Net Zero by 2050?

Date: 20th March 2025

Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm

Location: Online

In July 2024, the UK’s Climate Change Committee assessed that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve the country’s 2030 CO2 emissions reductions target are currently covered by credible plans and that the UK is off track for achieving Net Zero by 2025. The Labour party recognised in its recent general election manifesto that “[t]he climate and nature crisis is the greatest long-term global challenge that we face”, adding that “[t]he clean energy transition represents a huge opportunity to generate growth, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and make Britain energy independent once again.”. The government have set as one of its key missions for government to achieve “clean energy by 2030”, creating “a zero-carbon electricity system.”; but will the new government succeed in achieving its 2030 mission and putting the UK on a path towards meeting its 2050 Net Zero commitment; and what will its climate ambitions mean for the British economy and British citizens?

Labour have proposed a new Energy Independence Act to establish the framework for its energy and climate policies. Central to the new government’s climate objectives are a Green Prosperity Plan, investing in the industries of the future, in partnership with business, through a National Wealth Fund. To deliver on its clean power mission, Labour have pledged to work with the private sector to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030, as well as invest in carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and marine energy, and ensure the UK has the long-term energy storage it needs. To drive forward investment in domestic clean energy production, Labour will create a new publicly owned company, Great British Energy, which will partner with industry by co-investing in leading technologies, furnished with £8.3 billion of capital over the next parliament. Labour will also deploy more distributed production capacity through a Local Power Plan, with Great British Energy partnering with energy companies, local authorities, and co-operatives to develop clean power projects around the country. Further to this, Labour have said they will work with industry to upgrade national transmission infrastructure in order to facilitate the deployment of clean energy generation. On nuclear power, Labour have committed to extending the lifetime of existing plants and completing the construction of Hinkley Point C, and have underlined the important role that new nuclear power stations will play in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power. Labour have also said that it will invest in home insulation upgrades and take steps to ensure the building of sustainable homes and the creation of places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery.