Quakers welcome record renewables boost
Quakers in Britain have welcomed the UK government's record auction for renewable energy, saying it shows progress towards a cleaner and fairer energy system.
But with 2025 one of the three hottest years on record, they warned that ambition must be matched by delivery.
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Phasing out fossil fuels is the bare minimum our humanity demands
- Tanya Jones, climate justice lead
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"Dangerous denial of the climate emergency, illustrated by Donald Trump's plan to take the US out of the foundational UNFCCC climate treaty, makes it more important than ever that the UK's action is efficient, evidence-based and equitable," said Tanya Jones, climate justice lead for Quakers in Britain.
"Families, communities and ecosystems are being repeatedly battered by storms, heatwaves, flood and drought. Phasing out fossil fuels is the bare minimum our humanity demands."
Experts have warned that meeting 2030 targets will be extremely challenging without faster action on grid connections, planning and supply chains.
The latest auction is set to support around 7,000 jobs and unlock more than £3bn of investment, with most funding going towards new offshore wind projects.
These include planned wind farms in the North Sea and Irish Sea, alongside factories, ports and supply-chain infrastructure needed to build and maintain them across the UK.
Together they are expected to deliver around 8.4 gigawatts of new wind capacity, enough to power millions of homes, by the end of the decade.
Quakers in Britain said the move is a positive step away from fossil fuels, in line with their long-standing commitment to care for the Earth and work for peace and justice.
They have also long called for a just transition that addresses climate breakdown while tackling inequality, both in the UK and globally.
Jones said: "Progress must be measured not just in megawatts, but in fairness, care for creation and long-term wellbeing."