Andy Burnham: UK must fully commit to reaching net zero by 2050 — SkimNews
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- Andy Burnham pledged to meet Labour's commitment to reach net zero by 2050, writing in the Guardian that he wants Britain to 'believe in itself again' and outlining plans to take community energy schemes nationwide.
- Burnham tied the net zero push to devolution, proposing 'people's power projects' where local communities hold stakes in solar panels, windfarms, and hydro schemes.
- Burnham acknowledged the UK just emerged from its hottest summer on record, citing punishing heatwaves, nurses collapsing on hospital wards, bus drivers working in 40C cabs, and wildfires that destroyed homes.
- The Jackdaw gasfield decision off Aberdeen has been delayed until later this autumn, with Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh still weighing her recommendation after consultations closed last month; Labour MPs warn approval would hand a boost to the Greens.
- The Conservatives and Reform UK have rejected net zero targets, while Greens leader Zack Polanski — contesting the Holborn and St Pancras byelection — accuses Labour of trying to bury the Jackdaw decision before that vote.
- Burnham faced criticism from climate organisations in August for a muted response to heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires, with his main initiative at the time being a ban on portable barbecues.
Why it matters: The delay on Jackdaw and Rosebank exposes internal Labour tension between Burnham's freshly declared net zero commitment and North Sea fossil fuel approvals. With the Holborn and St Pancras byelection imminent, any greenlight risks handing Zack Polanski's Greens a potent campaign weapon and contradicting the 'hottest summer on record' framing Burnham himself just invoked.
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