The Government of United Kingdom has published a new climate and energy plan promising to cut bills, create 400,000 jobs by 2030, and upgrade 5 million homes while slashing carbon emissions, the government announced. The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan sets out how Britain will meet emissions targets through 2037 while investing in renewable and nuclear energy to reduce reliance on volatile fossil fuel prices.
Secretary of State Ed Miliband says clean energy sits at the heart of government policy because it makes people better off. “This is about delivering better lives for people today – from warmer homes and cleaner air to cheaper transport and increased access to nature,” he said. Since the UK introduced its landmark Climate Change Act in 2008, emissions have dropped over 50% while the economy has grown by more than 80%.
The plan focuses on investing in renewable and nuclear energy to protect families from gas price spikes—wholesale gas costs for households remain 75% higher than before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Over £50 billion in private investment has flowed into clean energy industries since last July, with the clean energy workforce set to double to more than 800,000 people by decade’s end. Projects span from Sizewell C in East Anglia to wind turbine manufacturing in Hull and carbon capture in the North West and North East.
The government’s Warm Homes Plan will upgrade homes for 5 million families, helping them switch to low-carbon heating with better insulation and rooftop solar. There’s no boiler ban—officials say they’re focused on making heat pumps and other low-carbon technologies the natural choice through incentives, not penalties. Zero-emission vehicles now save drivers up to £1,500 a year compared to petrol or diesel cars.
Business leaders, trade unions, and environmental groups have backed the framework, saying it creates stability for investment. Rain Newton Smith from the Confederation of British Industry calls clean energy “the economic opportunity of the 21st century.”
