Between Obstacles and Opportunities: A Legal Analysis of the United Kingdom’s Commitment to Renewable Energy and Net Zero Emissions

Abstract

This thesis studies the development and evolution of the legal framework governing renewable energy and net zero in the UK, particularly examining the statutes, statutory instruments, legal orders, and case law through the doctrinal method. The larger goals of the thesis are to analyze the evolution and development and decipher the challenges and opportunities that arise from the legal framework vis-à-vis renewable energy and net zero. The study argues that the United Kingdom has a strong legal framework in relation to climate change, net zero, and renewable energy; nevertheless, in order for it to function as efficiently as it can, opportunities must be increased, and obstacles must be reduced. This strong legal framework, albeit with some deficiencies, is a product of a long history of evolution and development, often involving various trials and errors.