Historically, coal played an important role in the British economy, being the source of electricity that helped the country make a breakthrough in the industrial revolution. Until the 1980s, coal power still accounted for 70% of the UK's electricity output, before declining in the 1990s. This proportion decreased sharply in the past decade, from 38% in 2013 to 5% in 2018 and 1% in 2023.

According to the ESO, the electricity system operator for the UK, natural gas currently accounts for about 33% of electricity generation in this country, wind energy 25% and nuclear energy 13%. In less than 10 years since the 2015 decision to phase out coal, the UK has made great progress in its energy transition.

In the short term, the UK still focuses on natural gas energy sources to ensure national energy policy. Last February, the UK issued 24 new licenses to more than 10 of the world's leading energy companies such as Total Energies, BP or Sell to explore and drill oil and gas in the North Sea.

However, renewables made up a 43% share of UK power generation in 2020, generating more electricity than fossil fuels in the year.  In 2017, the British government approved a budget of more than 3 billion Euros for the campaign to develop renewable energy for the period 2023-2032.

The new Labor government has announced an ambitious energy transition program with first year policies aiming to deliver a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030. Labor intends to quadruple offshore wind generation by 2030, triple solar power, and double onshore wind capacity. This is in addition to investing in carbon capture and storage and doubling the government’s target on green hydrogen.