The UK is winning the race to clean up the energy system by taking a lead on rolling out renewable energy projects and cutting coal-fired power faster than its EU peers.

A fresh report, to be published in Brussels today, shows that the UK is leading the way on support for wind and solar power, alongside Germany.

But unlike Germany, the UK is also scrapping high-carbon coal-fired power in favour of cleaner alternatives at a quicker rate than almost anywhere else in the EU while German policy makers dither on plans to limit their own carbon emissions.

The findings, published by a German think tank and a Brussels-based campaign group, pours cold water on claims that Brexit may dent the UK’s ‘green’ credentials by removing the EU’s clean energy and climate change targets.

The UK has pledged to phase out all coal-fired power by 2025 and has already revealed one of the biggest reductions in coal use across the EU, behind Denmark. The share of coal in the electricity generation mix fell by 22 percentage points from 28pc in 2010 to just 7pc last year.

In its place the UK is increasingly relying on renewable energy projects such as wind and solar farms. The UK increased its share of wind, solar and biomass by 20 percentage points from 8pc in 2010 to 28pc last year, narrowly behind Denmark’s progress.