Sadiq Khan has called on the government to commit to revamped climate action and to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and gas, as the UK endures a summer of drought, wildfires and heatwaves.
Writing in the Guardian, the mayor of London said that Andy Burnham’s administration must reaffirm its commitment to net zero and make clear it will continue to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and gas “to get Britain back on track.”
There is growing concern among Labour MPs and climate experts that the new prime minister may support renewed drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea; since arriving in No 10, Burnham has remained largely tight-lipped on climate and environmental concerns despite speaking out about them during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester.
Last month, Burnham said he would be “pragmatic” about oil and gas and that decisions on new drilling would be made “in due course”. “The question isn’t whether Britain will still be using oil and gas, the question is where does it come from,” he said.
Khan writes that, faced with the realities of a rapidly worsening climate crisis, which has amplified heatwaves and droughts sweeping across the UK and Europe, governments must redouble their efforts.
“National governments across the globe must step up and meet the gravity of this moment with renewed focus, funding, and resolve,” said Khan.
A decision on whether to approve more drilling in the North Sea is expected in the coming weeks. The Labour manifesto committed the party to halting any new licences. Two projects – the Jackdaw gasfield and the Rosebank oilfield – were granted permission under the Conservatives, but operations were paused after a court challenge by environmental groups.
The new energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, is expected to make decisions on Jackdaw and Rosebank after consultations regarding their emissions conclude in the coming weeks.
Many Labour MPs are worried that support for expanded drilling will alarm voters enduring a summer of extreme weather supercharged by the burning of fossil fuels – especially with a resurgent Green party attracting new support.
But pressure from the political right and industry has been intense. The Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, argues that new drilling in the North Sea could be the answer to the UK’s energy crisis. Senior economists, however, say it is not.
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Nicholas Stern, a professor at the London School of Economics, has said: “New drilling and decelerating climate action would be bad for growth and for energy security in the UK, and a damaging signal for the world.”
Burnham has said little about climate or environmental issues since becoming prime minister, though he has spoken out regularly in the past. In June last year, while mayor of Greater Manchester, he gave his support to the fossil fuel treaty – a proposed international pact on phasing out coal, oil and gas – calling it a “lifeline” that “all governments” should join. In November, he said: “Tackling climate change isn’t just about protecting the planet – it’s a powerful opportunity to build a fairer, greener future for our communities and businesses.”
Khan said the “terrifying scenes” this summer showed the world was now in an “era of extremes”. He said the cross-party consensus on climate action in the UK had broken down with opposition politicians and rightwing populists veering “wildly between denialism and fatalism”, but argued progress was still possible.
“My fear is that – without urgent action – the worst is still to come,” Khan said. “If we are to protect our planet and the people who call it home, we must turn the tide on climate denial by preparing for a hotter future and embracing net zero like never before.”
