The UK is poised to become the leading low-carbon nation in the G7, driven by ambitious clean energy policies implemented by successive governments. These policies, including the British Energy Security Strategy and the Clean Power Mission, will enable the UK to strengthen its carbon reduction commitments at the upcoming COP30 climate conference in Brazil in 2025, according to a report by researchers at Imperial College London.
The findings, published in Energy Strategy Reviews and conducted by Imperial’s Centre for Environmental Policy for SSE, emphasize how these initiatives could position the UK to achieve a higher Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Analyzing Clean Energy Policies
The report evaluates the impact of two landmark policies: the British Energy Security Strategy introduced in 2022 by the Conservative government and the Labour government’s Clean Power Mission announced in 2024. These policies are projected to increase the UK’s clean energy share and enable greater reductions in carbon emissions.
Imperial researchers developed a Clean Electricity Scorecard for the G7, which ranks nations based on three metrics: clean electricity share, gross carbon intensity, and net carbon intensity. The UK’s performance has significantly improved over the past decade, jumping from last place in 2010 to third by 2022.
Under the British Energy Security Strategy, the UK was on track to reach second place in the G7 with a 93% clean electricity share. However, Labour’s Clean Power Mission targets a 97% clean energy share by 2030, potentially propelling the UK to the top spot, surpassing France.
Dr. Nathan Johnson, lead contributor to the study, noted: “France and Canada rely heavily on legacy nuclear and hydro power. In contrast, the UK has rapidly decarbonized an electricity system that was historically dependent on fossil fuels.”
Raising Carbon Reduction Goals
The analysis indicates that the implementation of these policies could allow the UK to upgrade its NDC targets. At COP29 in Baku, the Labour government announced an 81% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, an increase from the previous target of 78%.
For 2030, the British Energy Security Strategy could enable a modest upgrade in the UK’s commitment from a 68% to a 68.9% reduction in emissions, while the Clean Power Mission could raise it to 70%. These improvements would result in annual carbon dioxide reductions of 8–17 million tonnes.
While these policies support significant progress, Dr. Johnson emphasized that achieving Labour’s ambitious 2035 target will require emissions reductions in other sectors, including transport and buildings. The additional clean electricity generated could power electric vehicles and heat pumps, further reducing fossil fuel dependency.
Accelerating Global Decarbonization
SSE, which commissioned the research, praised the team’s ability to simplify complex energy data to demonstrate the UK’s progress and encourage international action. “We wanted to tell the story of how decarbonizing the UK electricity system can translate ambition into real-world action,” said Alistair McGirr, Group Head of Policy and Advocacy at SSE.
Dr. Johnson concluded, “The UK’s latest commitments could move the needle on its NDC, providing inspiration for other nations to adopt more ambitious climate goals at COP30 and beyond.”
