Andy Burnham Urged to Stick to Net Zero Targets

The Call to Action on Net Zero Targets

Britain’s net zero economy is booming, worth £100bn a year to the UK, outpacing other sectors, and supporting higher-paying jobs than the average. For a union leader to suggest that the man who has overseen this impressive record – the energy secretary, Ed Miliband – would be a “noose around the neck” of job creation, as Unite’s Sharon Graham has done, might seem extraordinary.

The Economic Benefits of Net Zero

More than 60% of people support net zero and climate action, numerous polls suggest. Although it is eclipsed by the cost of living as a priority for voters, the appeal crosses political divides – about a third of Reform voters support the target, despite the onslaught against it from Nigel Farage and Richard Tice.

The Impact on Labour's Electoral Prospects

At the other end of the spectrum, Labour haemorrhaged votes to the strongly pro-climate Green party and Liberal Democrats at the local elections. YouGov polling showed that for every 2024 Labour voter who switched to Reform, about six voted instead for the Liberal Democrats or the Green party. In many cases, it was the switch by Labour voters to the left that gave Reform the leg-up to win seats, rather than Labour voters moving right.

The Future of Net Zero Policy

Political calculation aside, measures to tackle the climate crisis and reduce the UK’s dependence on imported oil and gas can also deliver economically. While Unite and GMB, unions with members reliant on the oil and gas sector, have called for an end to the ban on new North Sea drilling, most unions support net zero.

The Prediction

Burnham had a strong record on the environment while mayor of Manchester, where he declared a target of carbon neutrality by 2038 and championed clean energy, electric buses, insulation and nature projects. “This record shows he understands the importance of these issues and is willing to fight for them,” says Robbie McPherson, Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University, and former head of the UK’s all-party parliamentary group on climate.