The UK must fully commit to reaching net zero by 2050, Andy Burnham has argued in his strongest comments yet on the issue, saying it is no longer possible for Britons to believe they are not already affected by a changing climate.
Writing for the Guardian about new plans for a mass of community-led local green energy projects, the prime minister said the UK must “believe in itself”, and set out his determination to reach net zero targets, which have been rejected by the Conservatives and Reform UK.
The tone marks a contrast to the summer, when Burnham faced criticism for a seemingly muted response to the heatwaves, droughts and wildfires that affected the UK, with his main initiative being a ban on portable barbecues.
“I am determined that we meet the commitment on which Labour was elected and reach net zero by 2050,” Burnham said. “I want Britain to believe in itself again.”
Saying he wanted to connect local communities to green power projects – to reach net zero targets and make energy more affordable – Burnham said: “I am acutely aware that our changing climate is a major concern for many Britons, not least because we have just emerged from our hottest summer on record.”
He went on: “Punishing heatwaves left nurses collapsing on hospital wards and bus drivers working in 40C cabs. Wildfires destroyed homes, leaving families with nothing. And more extreme weather is forecast in the months ahead.
“The climate crisis is not a distant threat. It is here and with us now. The British people are no longer insulated from the consequences, and they do not want to be excluded from the solutions. They are looking for ways to do their bit. Community energy gives them that chance.”
The issue is still a tricky one for Burnham, who is facing significant pressure from both sides over whether to approve the Jackdaw gasfield and Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea.
A number of Labour MPs believe approving the projects would send a negative signal on climate efforts, and would provide a boost to the Greens, who argue that Labour is insufficiently serious in tackling the climate emergency.
A seemingly imminent decision to approve Jackdaw has been delayed until later this autumn, prompting the Greens to accuse Labour of wanting to bury the issue before the high-profile Holborn and St Pancras byelection, where Zack Polanski, the leader of the Greens in England and Wales, is challenging for the seat vacated by Keir Starmer.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, had been poised to give her recommendation to approve the field off the coast of Aberdeen, but it has been put off. Consultations on Jackdaw and Rosebank closed last month, with Fahnbulleh since considering her response.
Approving either or both projects would place renewed pressure on Burnham over his commitment to net zero.
No 10 officials point out that Burnham discussed the climate emergency in his first Commons statement as prime minister at the start of the month, and when he visited Stourbridge in the West Midlands in August after fires there. But in August, a series of climate organisations accused him of being silent about the subject during the heatwave.
In his Guardian article, Burnham tied net zero plans to devolution, setting out funding for so-called people’s power projects, where communities will have a stake in local green energy projects, such as solar panels, windfarms and hydro schemes.
He wrote: “Across Britain, people are taking back control of the things that matter to them: their pubs, their libraries, their leisure centres. Some have already done the same with energy. There are fine examples in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland of community energy schemes, which keep the lights on, the local economy moving and the benefits close to home.
“These projects work and we want to take them nationwide … The climate crisis presents us with an enormous challenge and possibility. In the coming years, we need to change the way we travel, the way we build homes and the way we produce energy. I have long seen the green transition as the best chance we will ever have to reindustrialise Britain.”
