As the only G7 leader in attendance, Burnham used the platform to warn that the global consensus on science and climate has “gone,” emphasizing that the situation has become increasingly urgent.
Addressing delegates on Thursday, the Prime Minister described the past summer in the UK as “not normal.” According to the Met Office, the record-breaking heat was made 130 times more likely by climate change.
The impact was severe: hundreds of schools were forced to close, cereal harvests dropped by 11%, and ambulance services faced demand exceeding levels seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. Acknowledging the pace of progress, Burnham admitted, “We have not moved as quick as I had hoped,” adding that “the world feels very different now and we need to adapt.”
The Prime Minister stated the climate crisis is upon all of us now, devastating lives and livelihoods everywhere.
To address these emerging threats, the Prime Minister appointed Dame Madeleine Alessandri, the former head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, as the UK’s first climate security envoy.
Dame Madeleine stated her new role will involve working to “work with partners across government and internationally to strengthen our understanding of climate threats, build resilience, and ensure we are better prepared for the challenges ahead.” She added that “climate change and nature loss are increasingly shaping the security environment in which the UK operates,” noting that these factors are “placing additional pressure on resources, economies and communities around the world.”
The climate crisis is outrunning us. Meanwhile, fossil fuel interests keep making a killing – while killing our planet. But we cannot surrender. In fact, we must fight harder. We are in the fight for our lives & for our children’s future. And we must win.#COP31 pic.twitter.com/AQxMzYRt1k
Government Plans to Increase Electricity from 21% to 35% by 2035
The government plans to publish a clean electrification road map to build more secure and affordable energy systems. The UK currently ranks 15th among G20 nations regarding the electrification of its energy system, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. The government aims to increase electricity from 21% to 35% by 2035.
Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, who previously identified that climate change could cost the global economy up to 20% of GDP if left unchecked, praised the Prime Minister’s stance. He said that the Prime Minister was right to identify climate change as a security threat and that investments in clean electricity are the “best way of protecting households and businesses from the high prices and volatile markets for fossil fuels.”
However, the Prime Minister’s domestic record remains a point of contention for campaigners. Critics point to policies such as reduced support for heat pumps, the approval of the Jackdaw gas field, and support for the expansion of Heathrow Airport as evidence of weakening green credentials. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has yet to rule on the Rosebank oil project.
International Context
Mr Burnham is the only G7 leader attending the summit. The US, currently led by President Trump, has been a notable absentee from the COP process for two years following the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Looking ahead, the Prime Minister confirmed that as the UK assumes the G20 presidency next year, it will put climate resilience back on the agenda, alongside issues of debt, development, and insurance. The Prime Minister is also preparing for a UK-EU reset summit in Brussels next Friday, further extending his engagement on international policy.
