UK general election: What are the main parties’ green energy policies?

TL;DR

• The UK government has called a general election on 4 July and climate change is high on the agenda for a large proportion of the electorate. 70% of people surveyed by Greenpeace stated that climate and environment policies will influence their vote. 

• Despite rolling back its £28 billion a year commitment, Labour has pledged to accelerate the transition to clean energy by establishing Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean power company. It will also look to achieve clean power by 2030 by rapidly expanding the UK’s onshore and offshore wind, solar, and green hydrogen capacity. 

• The Conservative Party has had success in reducing the UK’s emissions and introducing policies such as the plastic straw ban and 5p plastic bag charge. It remains committed to net-zero by 2050 but has taken what it refers to as a more pragmatic approach to other goals by extending the deadline for the ban on new petrol and diesel cars and investing in new oil and gas drilling sites.  

• Other parties’ policies range from the Liberal Democrats looking to reach net-zero by 2045 and the Green Party pledging to eliminate all emissions within 10 years to Reform UK’s intention to scrap the net-zero goal completely.  

• In Scotland, the SNP is also pledging to achieve net-zero by 2045 and ensure 50% of the country’s electricity is generated from renewable energy by 2030. However, it’s continued stance against nuclear power may be at odds with the energy industry as nuclear currently generates 30% of Scottish power.  

• No matter the outcome of the election, competing priorities will affect the likelihood of these policies becoming law. However, the need for a long-term view when it comes to addressing climate change and supporting the energy transition is acute and an issue that is important to the electorate. 

The detail

As the UK prepares for its first general election in almost five years on 4 July 2024, the political parties are setting out their stalls in the hope of attracting swing voters. There are several hot button issues that could affect how people cast their votes, from tackling the cost-of-living crisis and an overstretched NHS to managing immigration and inflation. However, the environment and climate change are also extremely important; 14% of people surveyed by YouGov said it was one the key issues impacting their voting preferences, making it the fifth most influential issue, ranked above the likes of housing, crime, and education.  

Accelerating the energy transition and continuing the race to net-zero are understandably priorities for those who support environmental charities. And that’s a significant chunk of the population; a poll by The Wildlife Trust found that 43% of people who voted in the general election in 2019 currently lend their support to an environmental charity. 61% of The Wildlife Trust’s member base, which is almost one million strong, will also be casting their vote at least in part based on the environmental policies offered by candidates.  

While a Labour majority is widely anticipated, no matter which way the polls swing and seats fall, the incoming government will dictate the UK’s environmental policy for the next five years. The decisions made and legislation passed will dictate whether the country hits its ambitious climate targets and makes the necessary progress towards net-zero. With 2050 getting ever closer, the next five years could represent the start of a climate revolution or see progress irrevocably stall.  

Labour eyes clean energy by 2030  

After experiencing a backlash for rolling back its £28 billion a year pledge towards tackling climate change in February 2024, Labour has dedicated a sizeable percentage of its manifesto to outlining how it will support the shift to clean energy. With an ambition to achieve clean power by 2030, the party has pledged to pioneer floating offshore wind by fast-tracking at least 5 GW of capacity, as well as more than doubling the UK’s onshore wind capacity to 35 GW, more than tripling solar power capacity to 50 GW, and quadrupling offshore wind with the aim of producing 55 GW by 2030.  

Labour is also committed to doubling the current government’s green hydrogen target, with 10 GW of production to be used in flexible power generation, storage, and to support industries like green steel. These UK-centric policies are complemented by the promise that a Labour government would forge a Clean Power Alliance with like-minded countries to jointly seize opportunities in clean energy, tackle climate change, and protect future generations. 

However, at the heart of Labour’s list of environmental and climate change commitments is a pledge to establish Great British Energy. This will be a publicly owned clean power company intended to cut bills and boost energy security by reducing the UK’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. Funded by a time-limited windfall tax on oil and gas giants, the company would be headquartered in Scotland and be developed alongside an upgrade to the National Grid to ensure the infrastructure is in place to capitalise on clean energy.  

That’s not all; the Labour party’s pledges go beyond supporting the energy transition to looking at how it can support industry while also combating pollution. The party plans to introduce automatic, severe fines for water companies that pollute rivers and give new powers to the regulator to block bonuses for the bosses responsible. A National Wealth Fund will invest in jobs that are intended to reinvigorate ports, gigafactories, and hydrogen plants while using public spending to upgrade draughty, cold homes and provide employment opportunities for electricians, engineers, and construction workers nationwide.  

Conservatives committed to net-zero  

While the Conservative manifesto has yet to make concrete environmental pledges, the government committed to the net-zero target of 2050 in 2019 and Rishi Sunak has said that his position on this hasn’t changed.  

Indeed, the Conservative Party has supported the energy transition in several ways during its time in government. 

This includes committing £2 billion a year to retrofit buildings that need improved insulation and the setting of a goal to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2035 as part of its 2021 Transport Decarbonisation Plan. These goals build on the achievements earned during the party’s 14 years in power, including banning plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds, introducing a 5p charge on single-use plastic bags reducing their use by 85%, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25% while increasing renewable electricity generation five-fold from 2011 to 2021.    

However, in 2023, the party announced plans to scale back some of its climate commitments. It confirmed it would be scrapping some energy efficiency requirements and supporting expansion in UK oil and gas while simultaneously investing in onshore and offshore wind farms. Legislation to grant hundreds of new licences for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea was making its way through parliament when the election was called. These policy adjustments reflect the opinion of 84% of The Wildlife Trust’s Conversative-voting supporters who said they are dissatisfied with the government’s track record on nature and climate.  

Further, recent headlines have highlighted deadline push backs on policies including the ban on new petrol and diesel cars (extended from 2030 to 2035) and encouraging households to switch from gas boilers to heat pumps, again drawing negative attention.  

Divisive party pledges 

While not likely to earn a majority and form a government in July, the smaller parties can still influence policy and reflect the concerns of the population, which may be especially impactful on a local level.  

The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto takes an ambitious approach to tackling climate change. The party is pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2045 and invest in renewables so that 80% of the UK’s electricity comes from renewable sources by 2030. Its commitment to net-zero extends to creating a Net Zero Delivery Authority and promising to ensure that the UK’s emissions commitments are at the forefront of any international trade agreement. Additional policies include planting at least 60 million trees a year, requiring all new homes to be fitted with solar panels, and providing generous tax incentives to encourage households to reduce their energy consumption, emissions, and reliance on gas.  

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Green Party’s environmental policies are equally radical, with the party pledging to reach net zero by 2040 at the latest. By focusing on building more onshore and offshore wind farms, the Green Party also hopes to provide at least 100 GW of electricity through wind power by 2030, which represents 70% of the UK’s electricity demand. These policies will be funded through an aviation fuel tax, a Frequent Flyer Levy, cancelling national road building schemes, and raising an emergency tax on the wealthiest 1% and highest polluters.

At the other end of the political spectrum, Reform UK is positioning itself to try and pick up seats from dissatisfied voters in the Conservative heartlands. While acknowledging the importance of having cleaner air and protecting the environment, the party believes that the current net-zero plan is creating more emissions only to outsource them overseas, and so has pledged to scrap the UK’s net-zero commitment entirely.  

The Scottish energy industry is one of the country’s most important sectors, so the policies of the SNP could have a considerable impact. The renewable energy industry and its supply chain supported more than 42,000 jobs and generated over £10.1 billion of output in 2021. The SNP plan to leverage this existing infrastructure and Scotland’s immense natural resources in wind and hydropower to reach net-zero by 2045.  

However, Scottish energy may be concerned with the SNP’s position on nuclear power. Nuclear energy accounted for 30% of electricity generated in Scotland in 2021, yet the SNP’s minority government has said that is it opposed to the building of new nuclear stations and is discussing decommissioning the nuclear sector entirely.  

By 2030, the SNP aims to generate 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources. It also intends to achieve 2 GW of capacity in community and locally owned energy by 2030, while implementing more than 100 new policies to help Scotland meet it emissions targets. This includes offering free bikes to school age children who can’t afford them and introducing a Deposit Return Scheme to encourage customers of drinks retailers to return their bottles.  

Green policies must remain part of the conversation  

With just weeks to go until the country goes to the polls, it remains to be seen whether any of these policies will eventually make their way onto the statute books. No matter who wins at the ballot box, the amount of investment available to tackle climate change and fuel the clean energy transition will depend on several different factors including geopolitical events, the economy, and inflation.  

Despite these competing priorities, the electorate is clearly keenly aware that environmental policies must remain part of the conversation. With 70% of people surveyed by Greenpeace stating that climate and environment policies will influence their vote, it’s an issue that’s not going to go away. It is vital for the future of the country and planet that short and long-term commitments are honoured and all decisions are made with a long-lens view of the future.  

While the inherently transient nature of government with to its five-year cycles can make it difficult to enact long lasting change, the increased awareness of the electorate and global goals such as net-zero give hope that climate change – and the importance of consistency in this area – will remain high on the political agenda for this government and its future successors. 

— Lew 👋

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