UK Law and Practice Contributed by: Tom Sprange KC, Andrea Stauber, Martina Antosova and Lucy Pearson, King & Spalding International LLP
• gas and electricity industry codes (Part 6); • heat networks (Part 8); • energy smart appliances and load control (Part 9); • the energy performance of premises (Part 10); • the resilience of the core fuel sector (Part 12); • offshore energy production, including environmen- tal protection, licensing and decommissioning (Part 13); and • the civil nuclear sector, including the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (Part 14). On 5 December 2022, the UK ban prohibiting the import, supply and delivery of Russian oil and oil prod- ucts, as well as liquified natural gas (LNG), into the UK and associated ancillary services in respect of these activities (such as technical assistance, brokering ser- vices, financial services, and funds) came into effect. The principal regulations that give effect to sanctions against Russia are the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/855), which incorporate the amendments made by numerous subsequent Regu- lations. As of May 2026, this ban was still in force and was most recently expanded by Russia (Sanc- tions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/543) to introduce a prohibition on the maritime transportation of Russian LNG. 1.7 Announcements Regarding New Policies In October 2021, the UK government announced its ambition to fully decarbonise the power sector by 2035. On 7 April 2022, the government announced the Brit- ish Energy Security Strategy (see 1.5 Central Planning Authorities ), which resulted in the Energy Act 2023 (see 1.6 Recent Changes in Law or Regulation ). The Energy Act 2023 was introduced to deliver on many of the commitments set out in the British Energy Security Strategy (as well as the government’s Ten Point Plan announced in November 2020) by: • establishing a new FSO, now known as NESO (see 1.5 Central Planning Authorities ), which will look at Great Britain’s energy system as a whole, and integrating existing networks with emerging tech- nologies such as hydrogen;
• introducing competition in Britain’s onshore electricity networks to encourage investment and innovation; and • supporting the growth of a 10 GW hydrogen economy and new carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry. Since coming into power in July 2024, the current Labour government has reinforced its pre-election commitment to making Britain a “clean energy super- power” by 2030 as one of its key missions. In September 2024, the government published a research briefing titled The UK ’ s Plans and Progress to Reach Net Zero by 2050 , which provided an overview of the background context for the UK’s commitment to reach net zero, the plans in place to reach this goal, and current progress. The briefing sets out the UK’s: • net zero targets; • policy developments in 2023 and 2024; and • an assessment of progress. In October 2024, the current government announced it had made available GBP21.7 billion in funding for the first CCUS projects in the UK. CCUS is a low- carbon solution that enables the production of clean power, clean products (such as steel and cement) and clean hydrogen, which can then be used to decar- bonise heating and transport. An additional GBP9.1 billion funding was announced in June 2025, and by the end of 2025 several CCUS projects reached the final investment decision stage. The government’s hydrogen strategy has been delayed from 2025 and is now expected at some point in 2026. On 12 November 2024 at COP29, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels (excluding international aviation and ship- ping emissions). On 29 October 2025, the government published its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, setting out how it will increase energy security, lower bills and drive towards carbon budgets.
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