Research indicates that Britain is falling behind at a crucial moment as the United States and the European Union pursue green growth in response to the Ukraine invasion.

According to data, the U.K.’s investments in renewable energy and the low-carbon economy plummeted last year, even as rival nations increased their firepower in the global green race.

From 2021 to 2022, the United Kingdom’s investment in the energy transition decreased by 10%, from £31bn to £28bn, while identical investment in the United States increased by approximately 24% to £141bn and in Germany by 17% to £55bn.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, E.U. investment in the transition away from fossil fuels increased by £26 billion to £180 billion last year.

The research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, was conducted by the House of Commons Library and appears to indicate that the U.K. is falling behind at a crucial time. The U.S., via the Inflation Reduction Act, is planning a £369 billion expansion of low-carbon efforts, and the E.U. is similarly pursuing green growth.

Renewable energy generation in the U.K. has been a mixed bag in recent years. Offshore wind has expanded significantly, but onshore wind farms have been nearly impossible to construct in England since 2015, and solar farms have been met with reluctance. 

The government has also declined to mandate the installation of solar panels.

Last month, the government unveiled several measures to promote the low-carbon economy. However, the pronouncements were overshadowed by the fact that ministers initially referred to the measures as “green day” before changing the name to “energy security day.” Scientists questioned the feasibility of the plan’s centrepiece, an investment of £20 billion over 20 years.

Wera Hobhouse, the energy and climate spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats and the Member of Parliament for Bath, accused the government of “dereliction of duty” for failing to concentrate on the economic opportunities of going green and protecting energy supplies and the environment.

She stated, “The government’s assertions that it is a global leader in the energy transition are false. This data reveals their disregard for our vital net-zero energy objectives and their failure to protect us from the next energy crisis.”

She added, “While other nations are facilitating significant investment in the future’s key industries, our government is content to watch them race ahead. This will result in a lack of energy security, higher energy costs, and continued failure to meet our climate goals.”

The data includes investments in renewable energy, electric vehicles, electrified heat sources such as heat pumps, energy storage, and carbon capture and storage. 

Preliminary data compiled by the House of Commons Library up to 2020 concentrated on renewable energy, so data from before 2020 cannot be directly compared, but it also demonstrates a significant decline in the U.K.’s investment in renewable energy.

According to the research, renewable energy investment plummeted to £7.6 billion in 2017 from £24 billion in 2016. The United Kingdom’s expenditures on renewable energy increased to £8.8 billion in 2018 but dropped to £5.3 billion in 2019.

Hobhouse advocated for a £150 billion public investment programme centred on achieving the U.K.’s legally binding objective of reaching zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and incorporating key future green technologies. She stated, “It is more evident than ever that we must facilitate substantial new investment. Instead, the government repackages old announcements to give the impression that it is acting.”

A Department of Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson stated, “Selective analysis of data in this manner is deceptive.” 

Our record speaks for itself, as we are home to the world’s first, second, third, and fourth largest operational offshore wind farms, with £198bn invested in low-carbon sectors since 2010.

The spokesperson stated, “This is 50 per cent higher than the U.S. as a percentage of GDP, which is why 40 per cent of our electricity came from renewable sources, nearly double the U.S. In addition, the cost of numerous renewable technologies has decreased in recent years.

“The government continues to support renewable energy, including Sizewell C, the first state-backed nuclear project in over three decades. “Last month, we unveiled our Powering Up Britain plans, which will assist us in delivering more affordable, clean, domestic energy.”