In order to meet the UK’s climate targets, the UK government outlined its strategy on the coal power phase-out by 2025. Cutting its emissions by more than 40% since 1990, the UK presents itself as a one of the most successful countries at growing its economy while reducing emissions. In 2013, the UK introduced a tax on CO2 emissions from power plants and its coal power phase-out strategy is considered as a next step towards a low-carbon economy.

The UK has a legally binding target to cut CO2 emissions by 2050 to 80 percent below 1990 levels as part of a drive to counter global warming. From the international perspective, the UK’s climate leadership was a driving force behind the launch of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, introduced during the Climate Change Conference COP23 in Bonn, in 2017. The Powering Past Coal Alliance, bringing together governments, businesses and organizations, is aimed at taking action to accelerate clean growth and climate protection through the rapid phase-out of traditional coal power.[1]

The UK Government considers that the appropriate means to guarantee the closure of unabated coal by 2025 will be to set a new emissions intensity limit to generating units. In particular, the coal power phase-out strategy builds on the adoption of the emission intensity limit of up to 450g CO2 for each kilowatt hour of electricity produced. This requirement targets “unabated” coal plants, utilities without carbon and capture storage (CCS) technology. The UK Government suggests that the majority of remaining coal power stations will close (or invest to the CCS technology) in the early 2020s. It is worthy to mention that ministers will retain emergency powers to suspend the phase-out in the case of an emergency shortfall in electricity generation.

Although the transition away from coal generation will have an impact on jobs, the UK Government is convinced that the move to cleaner growth, including through low carbon technologies, is one of the most significant and foreseeable global economic trends, and represents one of the greatest industrial opportunities of our time. According to the Clean Growth Strategy, presented in November 2017, the UK Government is determined to become one of the most advanced economies for smart energy and related technologies. In conclusion, the UK Government expects that the losses in activity associated with the closure of unabated coal generators will be compensated by increased activity in new, clean generation.

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The gLAWcal Team

[1] The Powering Past Coal Alliance: Declaration. Available at: < https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/660041/powering-past-coal-alliance.pdf >.