How green is Andy Burnham? Britain’s next PM faces tough climate decisions | Environment policy

fires Smoke cloud forms over Greater Manchester this weekFormer mayor Andy Burnham is on the brink of 10th place. Amid the UK’s three heatwaves so far this year, which have killed thousands of people in England and Wales, damaged harvests and left children crying in classrooms, the new prime minister’s plans for the climate crisis remain as veiled as his own city.

“Burnham has been very quiet on climate [crisis] so far,” says environmental advocate and Green Alliance think tank member Chris Venables. “I don’t think so. [it] it is at the forefront of his mind, but that doesn’t mean he will dilute the agenda.”

As Britain’s energy minister, climate action advocate Ed Miliband is the target of harsh criticism from right-wing media and politicians. Burnham is considering him as Chancellor of the Exchequer, which would signal a major acceleration in policies to achieve low-carbon economic growth. Rivals are briefing on Miliband’s defeat to home secretary Shabana Mahmood, which could be a setback for climate policy.

But while Burnham may be avoiding ignoring the climate for now, the crisis is not ignoring Britain. Heatwaves that killed nearly 2,700 people in May and June also had a negative impact on businesses in the UK. At least £2.4bn in lost productivity alone. Another bad harvest would be the fourth since 2020 and will hurt farmers and consumers with higher shopping bills. If a fossil fuel-fueled “super El Niño” weather system occurs worldwide as predicted, food prices will rise even further.

Saving the British economy is at the top of the prime minister’s to-do list; Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, says saving the climate and nature are inseparable. “We treat these as if they were in silos, but it is much better to solve them in a holistic and unified way,” he says. “Beautifying nature and tackling the energy crisis is good for our economy, good for our national security, as the joint intelligence committee found, and good for health, well-being and prosperity.” So the question is: how green is Andy Burnham?

Burnham’s record in Manchester shows a clear understanding of the challenge. Set a local target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2038; began to expand and electrify bus services; embarked on home insulation programs; and marveled at the green growth.

But while Burnham ruled out fracking for north-west England, he was less clear on the North Sea and said he kept an “open mind” about the prospect of further drilling. Leading economists, including International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol, said new fields in the North Sea would not reduce fuel prices or stimulate growth in the UK, but discussions on the policy continued.

Burnham has been accused of watering down her environmental ambitions at the first sign of trouble: she “paused” for a clean air zone in Manchester in 2022, after opposition and later to restrict polluting cars. cost around £100 million. London’s subsequent success with Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emissions zone showed that such measures could overcome opposition and create health benefits.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and businesses warned this week that high energy prices were crippling the UK economy. The Conservative Party and the UK Reform Party, as well as some in the Labor Party, including former prime minister Tony Blair, attribute this (with scant evidence) to policies to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. But many economists say renewable energy is now cheap; Once built, it requires no costly inputs, creates jobs and strengthens the UK economy by eliminating dependence on volatile gas and oil. Which way will Burnham lean?

His philosophy of “Manchesterism” offers clues. It rewards reindustrialization and local solutions to social and economic problems. Some have tried to interpret this as pursuing growth at any cost, including high-carbon and fossil fuel growth. But that would be wrong, according to Robbie Macpherson, a Kennedy scholar at Harvard University and former chair of the parliamentary all-party climate group. “The reward is cheaper energy, economic growth, good jobs and five more years in power.” [for Burnham]”An ecosystem of local authorities, workers, environmentalists and communities across the country is already forging ahead on this path and is ready to support Burnham to take the rapid growth of Britain’s green sector to the next level. Burnham needs to make clear that this agenda will run through the veins of the government he leads.”

Reindustrialization can also be green; The low-carbon economy is worth £100bn a year and supports more than 1 million above-average-paid jobs, CBI data recently showed.

Burnham also favors public control of public services. His instinct that the private sector does not have all the answers could be helpful in changing the way the UK energy market works.

Ed Matthew, UK director of the E3G think tank, says Burnham needs to be strongly interventionist in the market to reduce bills. “He needs to face the fact that no amount of North Sea drilling will reduce energy bills,” Matthew argues. “To do this, it needs to reform the energy market to stop gas determining the price of electricity and remove all taxes on electricity bills for households, businesses and industry. This will boost the UK economy and deliver real savings for households.”

One of the most important decisions Burnham will face concerns the future of the Jackdaw gas field, where negotiations will continue until August 8. Along with the Rosebank oil field west of Shetland, it is one of two major potential drilling sites in UK waters, with Labour’s manifesto to ban new licenses already in the planning process. Speculation is mounting that Burnham may greenlight Jackdaw as an opportunity for right-wingers and some unions. Does this mean the end of green credentials?

This is not necessary, according to multiple experts interviewed by the Guardian. “Having Miliband in a position of power would be a bigger climate win than anything that could happen to Little Crow,” says one of them. “It’s about the big picture now.”