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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
Lessons from the UK and Europe on how to transition an energy system
8/1/2025
8 min read
Feature
The Old World of the West – Europe – has spent billions decarbonising its electricity generation networks. While those efforts are now resulting in a greener energy generation mix, they have also had other, less desirable, consequences as well, reports Energy Institute Energy Analyst Ololade Osifala.
Europe’s new record for energy demand, energy consumption per capita and energy emissions in 2023 is one of the key findings from the 2024 Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy. At 77.95 EJ, the total energy demand for Europe (including the UK) declined by 2% below COVID-19 levels which was the previous lowest record.
This drop in demand led Europe’s energy per capita to fall below China’s for the first time in history. Furthermore, despite a global increase in emissions, the European region stands out with a decline of 5% recorded in total emissions including gas flaring, methane and process emissions. These remarkable feats and year of records point to a shift towards a low-carbon economy. It is worth looking into the actions that have underlain these changes over the years as well as assessing the risks and challenges that may lie ahead in the race to net zero.
The focus for this article is the electricity sector, whose energy mix is rapidly evolving as electrification is recognised as a highly efficient means to mitigate emissions and decarbonise energy supply chains. The power generation mix of Europe (including the UK) has shifted significantly from early 2000s. Fossil fuels’ share dropped from 45% to 26% from 2013 to 2023, while renewables’ share has increased from 13% to 30% within the same period, leading to the cleanest electricity mix to date.