Renewables post record year - but rising coal use forces up emissions

BusinessGreen staff
clock •

Green energy accounted for 11.3 percent of UK electricity last year after huge growth in offshore wind, as emissions rise 3.5 per cent

Renewables accounted for a record 11.3 per cent share of UK electricity generation last year, up from 9.4 per cent in 2011, according to government statistics. But a huge rise in coal use has pushed up...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Energy

Landlords urge government to produce roadmap for delivering on rented property efficiency standards

Landlords urge government to produce roadmap for delivering on rented property efficiency standards

National Residential Landlords Association argues expanded skills base and accessible finance required if demanding targets to improve inefficient properties are to be met

James Murray
clock 28 September 2026 • 3 min read
'Few better uses of public money': Solar panels and batteries cut lower-income households bills by two thirds

'Few better uses of public money': Solar panels and batteries cut lower-income households bills by two thirds

Putting homes in fuel poverty first in line for the 'rooftop revolution' would deliver huge cuts to energy bills, study finds

Stuart Stone
clock 28 September 2026 • 6 min read
Stop debating air conditioning and start planning for the cooling people already need

Stop debating air conditioning and start planning for the cooling people already need

As the UK heads into cooler months, we cannot simply put our heads in the sand and hope the problem goes away, writes Christine Egan from CLASP

Christine Egan, CLASP
clock 28 September 2026 • 4 min read