Reimagining Global Britain: challenges and opportunities for the energy transition
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Wind Energy and Reimagining Global Britain: challenges and opportunities for the energy transition
By aligning domestic policy shifts with international cooperation and support, Britain has the potential to reshape its global climate leadership.
As part of a commitment to deliver clean power, act on climate change and boost Britain’s energy independence, the new Labour government has moved quickly to lift the de facto ban on onshore wind energy which had been in place since 2015. This policy shift is arguably set to reduce Britain’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and to double its onshore wind capacity by 2030.
Over the past decade, global onshore wind capacity has seen a substantial increase, growing more than five times to reach 486.79 GW. The signatory states to the Paris Agreement and European Green Deal envision continuous investment in the energy transition, in which wind energy is a fundamental element. Projections indicate that maintaining this growth trajectory could result in nearly 23 billion tonnes of CO2 savings by 2030, alongside creating millions of jobs.
Drawing on NatCen International’s work in providing rigorous analysis on Britain’s role in a changing geopolitical and economic context, this article situates the government’s policy shift within a global context. The authors argue that challenges around infrastructure and technical expertise in developing countries and concerns around trade-offs in advanced economies are an opportunity for this government to reimagine Britain’s role as a global leader in innovation and sustainability. Bold decisions on green energy are much needed not only to enhance energy security for Britain and reduce its carbon footprint but also to offer leadership and support for other countries to do the same, including in the Global South. It is heartening to see this ambition aligned with commitments made by the newly appointed Minister for International Development, Anneliese Dodds, which include rebuilding Britain’s development reputation, developing genuine partnerships with the Global South and acting on climate change.
The Challenge
While wind energy is expected to play a critical role in the global energy transition, there are contextual challenges that may hinder its uptake including its own dependency on climate itself. This wind energy paradox means that the contribution of wind energy to the mitigation of climate change will depend on climate change itself because the amount of energy generated will be affected by weather patterns and wind speeds, and those stand to be influenced by climate change. Other key issues include altered natural landscapes, land use conflicts, environmental impacts, and community opposition.
In advanced economies, altered natural landscapes and community oppositions can be a problem but economic incentives can foster acceptance.
In Britain, the policy shift towards onshore wind energy is largely aligned with public interests in acting on climate change – our British Social Attitudes survey, which has measured the public’s attitudes to climate change since 2011, has shown that four out of five respondents are concerned about climate change and acknowledge that humans are at least somewhat responsible for it. Despite its clear benefits, concerns have been raised about how the shift in policy direction will be operationalised. For example, the BEIS Public Attitudes Tracker shows that 79% of people support the use of onshore wind and that only 4% oppose it. This, however, changes when people are asked about onshore wind in the local area. The tracker showed that 43% would be happy for an onshore wind farm to be built in their local area, with 12% unhappy and 32% either unsure or neutral.
Research shows that economic incentives are important factors affecting community acceptance of wind power. For instance, in Denmark, local acceptance is higher when economic benefits are evident. In Norway, main reasons for local opposition include noise and visual intrusion. Several factors significantly influence social acceptance of wind energy projects, including proximity to residential areas, gender differences in attitudes (with women more supportive of wind energy than men, who are more likely to be outright opponents), and the community’s desire for involvement in decision-making processes.
In developing countries, challenges are technical, legal and financial. Britain has a critical role to play in building new collaborations that can address those blockages.
In developing countries, challenges are often more complex. For example, Vietnam presents an illustrative case of the complexities involved in scaling up wind energy. With an impressive array of offshore wind projects in the pipeline, Vietnam aims to achieve a 6 GW offshore wind capacity by 2030 as part of its Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8). Offshore wind is expected to play a critical role in Vietnam’s ambition for net-zero emissions by 2050, potentially growing to between 70 and 91.5 GW by mid-century. Despite the country’s significant potential—estimated at 475 GW, the largest in Southeast Asia—Vietnam faces substantial technical and legal constraints that threaten these goals. In particular, the current lack of grid infrastructure capable of handling the influx of offshore wind power, coupled with financial difficulties faced by EVN, the national and sole public power company in Vietnam, highlights a significant bottleneck. Legal uncertainties and lack of robust regulatory frameworks further complicate the landscape, with an absent legal framework and the delay in approving the national marine spatial planning necessary for effective project management and coordination. Local communities also voice concerns about lack of transparent communication, fair compensation, and disruption to their crops.
China’s rapid expansion of wind energy, particularly since 2021, has positioned it as a global leader in renewable energy production. China ranks highest in greenhouse gas emissions but is also the largest investor in green energy. A recent report by Global Energy Monitor found that the country is building two-thirds of the world’s new solar and wind power capacities, totalling 339 GW, far exceeding the second runner-up, the US at 40 GW and the UK at 10 GW. If all projects in the pipeline are completed as intended, China could easily reach the target of 1,200 GW solar and wind capacity by the end of this year, 6 years ahead of schedule. However, this growth has not come without significant challenges. Early focus on quantitative expansion led to limited technological knowledge development, resulting in an accumulation of problems later. Low-quality power plants negatively impacted turbine manufacturers, who faced increasing maintenance and repair costs. The national grid was also adversely affected by poor-quality turbines. China faces the phenomenon of "wind curtailment," where generated wind power cannot be fully utilised due to grid limitations. This has led to a sharp decline in the utilisation rate of wind power plants. Additionally, conflicting policies and insufficient transmission grid systems further exacerbate these challenges. The need for effective incentive policies for large-scale and long-distance wind power transmission is critical. Despite accelerated growth, grid-connected capacity often lags behind installed capacity, with significant mismatches in energy production and consumption geographically.
The Opportunity: A reset on Britain's climate leadership
As Britain embarks on a renewed commitment to onshore wind energy, there is an opportunity here for much-needed global leadership that Britain can provide.
New “genuine partnerships” are essential for Britain’s leadership to be credible.
For Britain to become a “clean energy superpower”, new strategic and meaningful partnerships need to be developed with countries in the Global North and the Global South. To do so effectively, however, will require a shift in how those partnerships are developed, recognising that different countries have different incentives, challenges and needs. In the Global South, for example, access to climate finance is necessary for renewable energy projects to take root and this access needs to take into account local politics, priorities and power dynamics. NatCen International research has shown that while African women play a critical role in climate adaptation, they lack control over economic resources and struggle to access climate finance. By fostering partnerships that prioritise local engagement and community involvement in decision-making processes, the UK can help overcome social and environmental challenges often associated with renewable energy projects.
This reset will also need to be underpinned by a stronger evidence base on the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition globally.
Data on climate variability and climate risks in low and middle-income countries remains scarce. There are also significant data gaps on the potential adverse impacts of the energy transition on vulnerable communities. Studies have highlighted the links between mines of materials critical to the energy transition and local degradation in ecosystems. This is important because limitations in data (and data of poor quality) have had direct implications for both policy and programming, especially where international engagement is concerned. In East Africa, for example, the difficulty in access to water data is directly linked to the inability to make informed management decisions on water resources.
Ultimately, by aligning domestic policy shifts with international cooperation and support, Britain has the potential to reshape its global climate leadership. This strategic reset not only enhances energy security and reduces the carbon footprint at home but also sets a precedent for inclusive and sustainable development worldwide.
