Andy Burnham insists he is committed to the green transition, but his MPs worry that in decision after decision, he is showing that other priorities come first.
asserted
priorities → insist → decision
“Our changing climate is a major concern for many Britons, not least because we have just emerged from our hottest summer on record,” the prime minister wrote in the Guardian in September.
asserted
minister → change → September
Since then, however, he has overseen a series of announcements that have dismayed green-focused Labour MPs.
asserted
that → oversee → MPs
First his energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, approved the Jackdaw gasfield.
asserted
secretary → approve → gasfield
Then his chancellor, John Healey, announced a series of cuts to green schemes such as heat pump subsidies.
asserted
chancellor → announce → subsidies
Now MPs are carefully watching two key decisions to be made in the coming weeks: whether he pushes Fahnbulleh to approve the larger Rosebank oilfield, and whether his ministers cut electric vehicle targets.
asserted
ministers → watch → targets
“I know the prime minister is committed to the green transition and meeting our climate targets, and he understands the seriousness of the climate crisis,” said Catherine Fookes, a Labour backbencher.
asserted
Fookes → know → crisis
But she added: “The government has some incredibly difficult decisions to make in the coming months …
asserted
government → add → months
I believe the ZEV [zero emissions vehicle] mandate should stay, and Rosebank should be rejected.”
asserted
Rosebank → believe → ?
Her colleague Andrew Lewin said: “We have a strong record on renewables, and lots of good work being led by DESNZ [the energy department].
asserted
We → say → DESNZ
Approving Rosebank would risk undermining our record.
asserted
Approving → approve → record
Ami McCarthy, the head of politics at Greenpeace, said: “This government’s heart seems to be in the right place on climate, but there’s still a real danger of them sleepwalking into reversing the progress made so far.”
asserted
them → say → progress
Those close to the prime minister insist he understands the importance of tackling the climate crisis and believes it can help to bring down living costs in the future.
asserted
it → insist → future
But, at the same time, he is trying to give voters financial “breathing space” this winter while also bolstering national security.
asserted
he → try → security
Some Labour MPs criticised Burnham in the summer for responding to wildfires by urging people not to use barbecues rather than talking about the climate emergency.
asserted
MPs → criticise → emergency
But they have been more concerned by decisions he has taken since.
asserted
he → take → decisions
The decisions to approve Jackdaw and cut some of the energy department’s green schemes were based on national security concerns.
asserted
decisions → approve → concerns
By providing a domestic source of gas, Jackdaw will reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, with European dependence on Russian gas having proved a big problem at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
asserted
dependence → provide → Ukraine
And by cutting more than £3bn from the energy department, Healey has been able to raise defence spending – something the former defence secretary has made one of his top priorities.
asserted
secretary → cut → priorities
The cuts will come principally from the £15bn warm homes plan, which promised to roll out electrified energy via heat pumps, rooftop solar panels and batteries, and to cut energy waste via home insulation.
asserted
which → come → insulation
Funding for hydrogen and carbon capture technologies has been cut by £700m.
The cuts to the boiler upgrade scheme in particular were met with dismay among environmental experts.
asserted
cuts → cut → experts
Britain lags behind many European countries when it comes to electrifying its heating system.
asserted
it → lag → system
Experts say the UK is now unlikely to meet its heat pump targets and may even miss its emissions reductions target in the next carbon budget.
uncertain
UK → say → budget
Andrew Sissons, a director at the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, a research charity, said: “The chancellor made a backward step here.
asserted
chancellor → say → step
If you speak to any climate change expert they will say the biggest problem to tackle is home heating.
asserted
problem → speak → expert
“We are way behind where we need to be.
asserted
we → need → ?
The most effective action to remove carbon emissions from homes is to replace gas boilers with heat pumps.
asserted
action → remove → pumps
“The boiler upgrade scheme is the key mechanism for removing emissions from home heating, and cutting it sends a damaging signal to the heat pump industry.”
asserted
cutting → remove → industry
James Dyson, a senior researcher at the thinktank E3G, said: “Reliance on gas means the UK will remain vulnerable to economic shocks and military threats.”
asserted
UK → say → shocks
Green campaigners were also disappointed by the budget decisions to allow hyperscale datacentres to build on-site fossil fuel power generation and not to increase the windfall tax on energy companies.
asserted
datacentres → disappoint → companies
BP profits hit $8.5bn (£6.4bn) in the three months to September – an 18-year high – while Shell doubled its profits to $10.8bn.
asserted
Shell → hit → 10.8bn
Defenders of the prime minister and the chancellor deny the government has slowed its efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
asserted
government → deny → crisis
They say the cuts to green schemes were originally agreed by Keir Starmer’s government, and that this government’s decision to cut VAT from electricity bills would incentivise consumers to move away from gas.
asserted
decision → say → gas
Ministers are also working on plans to remove more levies from electricity bills and to fund environmental schemes through taxation instead, something green campaigners are likely to welcome.
asserted
campaigners → work → taxation
Danny Gross, a climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “While the chancellor stopped new levies being piled on to energy bills, he failed to remove the remaining ones that keep electricity so expensive.
asserted
electricity → say → ones
These should be moved to general taxation to share costs more fairly.
asserted
These → move → costs
While Fahnbulleh’s allies say she wants to block the oilfield, those close to Healey say he wants it to go ahead.
asserted
it → say → Healey
Burnham is reported to have sided with the chancellor, but No 10 officials insist the PM is happy for Fahnbulleh to make her own decision.
asserted
Fahnbulleh → report → decision
More immediately, ministers will meet this week to finalise the 2030 EV target, which the Guardian understands will be cut by about a quarter.
asserted
Guardian → meet → quarter
Again, those close to the PM say the decision reflects business reality, and has not been his to make after he recused himself because of his wife’s role at an EV charging company.
asserted
he → say → company
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
