Andy Burnham used a sparsely attended UN climate summit in Turkey to highlight his Net Zero credentials today.
With around 100,000 delegates reportedly taking part in COP31, the Prime Minister addressed a largely empty hall and called for a “new era of British leadership over the next decade”.
During a speech that lasted only six minutes, Mr Burnham warned that the “climate crisis is upon all of us now”, pointing to a “not normal” summer marked by extreme heat, wildfires and drought.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and London Mayor Lord Khan were among those present. Lord Khan was also seen posing for selfies with UN staff at the event.
The Prime Minister is facing scrutiny over his decision to attend the summit, particularly because no other G7 leaders have travelled to the gathering.
France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Canada’s Mark Carney have all stayed away. Donald Trump is not sending officials either, having withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement.
Mr Burnham flew into Antalya last night on a Government aircraft before leaving for Dublin this morning, where he is due to attend a meeting with EU leaders.
A planned meeting with Brazil’s recently re-elected president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was also cancelled because of the tight schedule.
While the Prime Minister sought to underline his green credentials, the Government has been sending apparently conflicting signals on climate policy.
Andy Burnham told a UN climate summit the UK is committed to hitting Net Zero by 2050 today – despite an apparent shift in tone domestically
The PM spoke to a half-empty hall at the COP31 gathering in Turkey this morning, saying he wanted a ‘new era of British leadership over the next decade’
Mr Burnham and Lord Khan looked to be enjoying themselves in Antalya as they spoke to delegates
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was also on hand to boost the numbers listening to Mr Burnham’s speech
Lord Khan posed for selfies with UN staff at the summit this morning
Louise Haigh, the de facto deputy Prime Minister, is expected to chair a Cabinet committee today that could soften electric vehicle targets. The meeting was reportedly postponed amid concerns that its outcome might leak and prove embarrassing for Mr Burnham.
Ministers have also approved drilling at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, while questions remain over whether the Government can deliver its ambition for a Net Zero power grid by 2030.
Elsewhere, plans for the UK’s biggest solar farm at Oxfordshire’s Blenheim Estate have been rejected by ministers.
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In his address, Mr Burnham said: “The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it is upon us all now, devastating lives and livelihoods everywhere.
“At the same time, two wars on two continents have driven up fuel prices and gas bills for households and businesses around the world. The link between these challenges is our continuing dependence on fossil fuels.
“The message I bring to my first COP as UK Prime Minister is clear: we remain committed to achieving our 2050 Net Zero target and to working with every partner to help them meet theirs.”
Mr Burnham spent a little more than an hour at the conference venue, delivering his speech before heading on to Dublin.
The limited time available led to the cancellation of his planned bilateral talks with Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the summit.
He did, however, hold a series of brief informal encounters, known as “brush-bys”, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Finland’s president Alexander Stubb and COP31 president Murat Kurum.
The short visit is the latest in a series of overseas trips by the Prime Minister. A Government aircraft collected him from Manchester last week for a Commonwealth summit in Antigua, while he is also scheduled to attend the G20 summit in Miami next month.
Tory frontbencher Neil O’Brien told Our News Outlet: “The only thing at COP that came close to reaching Net Zero was the size of Burnham’s audience.
“He is pushing up energy bills in the name of cutting emissions, yet flew halfway around the world to address a virtually empty room.
“If he wanted to speak to empty chairs, he could simply have summoned his own Cabinet.”
Mr Burnham’s early-morning speech at the summit was not well attended
The PM arrived in Antalya last night on a Government plane, and departed this morning for Dublin – where he is joining a summit with EU leaders
Urging business leaders to help people across all income groups take part in the green transition, Mr Burnham said: “This crisis can only be resolved through partnership. I have promised a new era of British leadership over the next decade.
“The scientific and climate consensus we once shared has broken down, while the world is now on course to reach 1.5C. Climate leadership and decisive action are more urgent than ever. Britain will meet that challenge.”
Mr Burnham also backed Turkey’s pledge to lift the proportion of global energy demand supplied by electricity from 21 per cent to 35 per cent by 2035.
He said greater electrification would “protect families from global fossil fuel shocks”, support well-paid employment and ultimately “lower people’s bills”.
