{"id":692306,"date":"2026-07-15T03:31:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T03:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/692306\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T03:31:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T03:31:12","slug":"28-quotes-from-next-uk-leader-andy-burnham-on-climate-net-zero-and-fossil-fuels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/692306\/","title":{"rendered":"28 quotes from next UK leader Andy Burnham on climate, net-zero and fossil fuels"},"content":{"rendered":"

The UK\u2019s incoming prime minister Andy Burnham has remained tight-lipped<\/a> on his views on climate change during his leadership campaign.<\/p>\n

When asked his views on reversing Labour\u2019s manifesto pledge<\/a> to stop new North Sea drilling in June \u2013 a move that the oil-and-gas industry<\/a> and right-wing media<\/a> have pushed for in recent months \u2013 he said<\/a> he had \u201csomething of an open mind\u201d on the issue.<\/p>\n

But a trawl of Burnham\u2019s past comments about climate change, net-zero and fossil fuels reveals a different picture.<\/p>\n

Just a year ago in June 2025, Burnham, while mayor of Greater Manchester, gave his support<\/a> to the fossil fuel treaty<\/a> \u2013 a proposed international pact on phasing out coal, oil and gas \u2013 calling it a \u201clifeline\u201d that \u201call governments\u201d should join.<\/p>\n

In a video message endorsing the treaty, he also said<\/a> that \u201cthere should be no turning away from net-zero\u201d.<\/p>\n

During his last bid<\/a> to be Labour leader in 2015, he used similar language, saying:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLabour under my leadership will never turn our back on either our duty to tackle climate change or the prospects offered by the green economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burnham has spoken about the threat of climate change since at least 2008, noting in 2021 that accelerated action could \u201ccreate thousands of good jobs\u201d, but also warning that net-zero risked becoming the \u201cnext Brexit\u201d.<\/p>\n

Burnham is yet to appoint his cabinet, but there is much speculation<\/a> that he will select current net-zero secretary Ed Miliband as his chancellor \u2013 with their ally Miatta Fahnbulleh having a \u201cstrong chance<\/a>\u201d of taking Miliband\u2019s former position.<\/p>\n

Below, Carbon Brief recounts 28 things that Burnham has said about climate change, net-zero, fossil fuels, energy and transport.<\/p>\n

Climate change\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTackling climate change isn\u2019t just about protecting the planet \u2013 it\u2019s a powerful opportunity to build a fairer, greener future for our communities and businesses.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Calling<\/a> for local councils to be given more power and money for climate action, 29 November 2025\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is little doubt that Greater Manchester\u2019s biodiversity has taken a hit over the years, with habitats being lost, destroyed and becoming less diverse due to the impact of development, climate change, pollution and invasive species\u2026We are committed to delivering a city-region for all residents to enjoy \u2013 a fairer, greener and more prosperous place for everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Statement<\/a> after Greater Manchester declared a \u201cbiodiversity emergency\u201d, 25 March 2022<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the next decade, if we accelerate our response to the climate crisis, we can create thousands of good jobs, improve homes, overhaul our transport system and make [Manchester] an even better place to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greater Manchester Green Summit<\/a>, 18 October 2021<\/p>\n

\u201cThe environment has never been higher on the national and international agenda.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Statement<\/a> after visiting a peat bog restoration project in England, 9 January 2020<\/p>\n

\"AndyAndy Burnham (left) and others, including members of Massive Attack, endorsing the Fossil Fuel Treaty in June 2025. Credit: Fossil Fuel Treaty<\/p>\n

\u201cI think climate change [action] will be driven more quickly from the bottom up, if I\u2019m honest. It\u2019s the will of evolution if you wait for the government to act\u2026When governments aren\u2019t listening you get out and get your voice heard\u2026so I think [climate protesters] deserve our encouragement, not our criticism.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking to Manchester Evening News<\/a> at a student climate protest in Manchester, 24 May 2019<\/p>\n

\u201cLabour under my leadership will never turn our back on either our duty to tackle climate change or the prospects offered by the green economy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Labour leadership candidate speech<\/a>, 15 July 2015\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cClimate change can seem a distant, impersonal threat \u2013 in fact the associated costs to health are a very real and present danger\u2026We need well-designed climate change policies that drive health benefits.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking to the Guardian<\/a> about a study on climate and health, 25 November 2009<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Stern<\/a> report on the economics of climate change has changed the debate, in this country and around the world. It made it clear that the people who could suffer most from a failure to tackle climate change, or from a lack of ambition in our approach to it, are those living in the developing countries. They are the most vulnerable\u2026[and] Stern said that the cost of not acting would be large. That is why the government took various measures in the recent spending review to ensure that we are prepared to face the challenges posed by climate change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking in the UK parliament<\/a> on the economic impacts of climate change on his final day as chief secretary to the Treasury, 24 January 2008<\/p>\n

Net-zero<\/p>\n

\u201cThere should be no turning away from net-zero.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking<\/a> after giving his support to the fossil fuel treaty<\/a> \u2013 a proposed global pact to introduce laws to phase out coal, oil and gas \u2013 on behalf of Manchester, 6 June 2025\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Fossil<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAn opportunity is opening up for Britain as other countries move away from net-zero. We should seize that\u2026We can make Britain a green leader. This is not the time to tiptoe, it is the time to commit to this path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking at Innovation Zero World Congress<\/a> in London, 29 April 2025\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c[We] need a government that fully buys into the 2038 vision because the UK will not get to 2050 unless places like Greater Manchester are freed up to go faster \u2013 and we\u2019re ready to go faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking<\/a> about Greater Manchester\u2019s aim to reach net-zero by 2038, 19 October 2022\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Greater Manchester we have plans to build 30,000 net-zero social rented homes because we recognise that a successful city region needs good quality, affordable accommodation for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speech<\/a> on the future of cities, 24 June 2022\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBy building a broad consensus behind the drive to net-zero, we can ensure that the transition is a fair one that delivers social justice as well as climate justice. This is an opportunity for all of us to show how cutting carbon emissions in our cities can make a real difference to our communities \u2013 away from the abstractions and rooted in the real world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Panel discussion<\/a> in Glasgow during the COP26<\/a> climate summit, 12 November 2021\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the extent that people have picked up anything from COP26, it\u2019s a sense that the drive to net-zero will mean cost and inconvenience for ordinary people and offsetting for the wealthy and entitled. All of a sudden, you can feel how net-zero could become the new Brexit \u2013\u00a0 a debate that gets very divided on class grounds\u2026This has got to be a wake-up call. We cannot let this happen. We need to act now to build a broad social consensus behind the drive to net-zero. How to do that? It starts with taking control of the climate narrative from those steering it in the wrong direction and turning it around\u2026We must show how, if done in the right way, the drive to net-zero is actually an opportunity to reduce the cost of living; to make people\u2019s lives better and society fairer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Writing for the London Standard<\/a>, 5 November 2021\u00a0<\/p>\n

\" Andy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe drive to net-zero is a chance to re-industrialise the north of England, this time in a clean way. Create really good jobs, future-facing jobs for people, better public transport, improve people\u2019s homes\u2026If we go quickly towards net-zero, it\u2019s the quickest way to level up the country.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

ITV<\/a> interview at COP26, 1 November 2021\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we really embrace the drive to net-zero, that is the route to level up the country\u2026But it needs substantial investment, upfront, now, of the kind that Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor [and chancellor under Keir Starmer\u2019s government], has been talking about. We need long-term predictable funding.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Interview with GB News<\/a> at COP26, 1 November 2021\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have preferred to hear slightly less about carbonated wine and much more about a decarbonised economy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Referencing<\/a> a UK budget<\/a>, which included tax cuts for sparkling wine and other drinks, 28 October 2021\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDecarbonising is not just about lowering costs on to people. It\u2019s the route to get better, cheaper public transport. It\u2019s the route to getting homes that are cheap to run. It\u2019s actually the way we can create thousands of good jobs for the people who live in Greater Manchester. This is the route to levelling up the country by going further and faster on decarbonisation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to Manchester Confidential<\/a>, 20 October 2021\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c[I am] asking people to stop seeing the environmental agenda as a cost and a burden agenda. I think this is a barrier that we\u2019ve got to get over. Already in the media interviews I\u2019ve done today, people are saying \u2018can you afford it?\u2019, \u2018can it be achievable when times are tough?\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy answer to that is, at some point in the 21st century, all homes will be zero-carbon. At some point in this century, all buildings of any kind will be zero-carbon\u2026All cars will be zero-carbon, all public transport will be zero-carbon\u2026The question is: when? And surely the places that embrace those things first are putting themselves in a position of economic strength when it comes to facing up to the future. Rather than seeing the whole agenda as a burden, we\u2019ve got to see it for the benefits that it can bring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere may be a greater upfront cost in a zero-carbon home, but let\u2019s stop thinking, as we tend to do in Britain, of the short-term, the short-termist approach to life. Surely let\u2019s start talking to the public about the lifetime cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greater Manchester Green Summit<\/a>, 21 March 2018\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fossil fuels<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got something of an open mind, you know. I don\u2019t have a sort of fixed position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking on the issue of new North Sea oil and gas in a New Statesman<\/a> interview, 3 June 2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would fight this in GM [Greater Manchester]\u2026Communities across the north would face all the danger and disruption while big oil and gas walk away with all the profits.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to Reform\u2019s call for fracking, on X<\/a>, 25 August 2025<\/p>\n

\"Andy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI am proud to endorse the fossil-fuel treaty proposal today on behalf of Greater Manchester. It\u2019s not just a plan \u2013 it\u2019s a lifeline. It\u2019s a call to end coal, oil and gas, hold polluters accountable\u2026I urge all governments, nationals and subnationals to join this fight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Statement<\/a> upon endorsing the fossil-fuel treaty, 5 June 2025<\/p>\n

\"Fossil<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cFracking is the past, it is not the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speech<\/a> at London climate protest, 20 September 2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI have called for a moratorium on fracking. Far too many potential risks and unanswered questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

On X<\/a>, 22 June 2015<\/p>\n

\"Andy<\/p>\n

Energy and transport\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I would do, if successful, is lay out a plan for more public control over water, energy, transport, so that over the period we can get those bills down, fares down, and give people and give businesses breathing space.\u201d<\/p>\n

LBC interview<\/a>, 2 July 2026<\/p>\n

\u201cI am all in favour of tough decisions at a national level. I don\u2019t believe there should be a third runway at Heathrow, for instance. But I think those are decisions for national government.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guardian<\/a> interview, 13 June 2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a debate to be had about aviation, isn\u2019t there? There are changing public attitudes about aviation. Rather than just saying no to people flying, don\u2019t we need to accelerate research into low and zero-carbon forms of aviation?\u201d<\/p>\n

Guardian<\/a> interview, 13 June 2019<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I stand alongside the mayors of some of the greatest cities in the world. I\u2019m committed to a cleaner, greener and healthier future for Greater Manchester. Around a third of greenhouse gas emissions in our city-region come from transport.\u201d<\/p>\n

When signing<\/a> the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration<\/a>, which includes support for zero-emissions vehicles and walking and cycling, on behalf of Manchester, 14 September 2018<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The UK\u2019s incoming prime minister Andy Burnham has remained tight-lipped on his views on climate change during his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":692307,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[19306,1397,2982,1912,230432,10365,12636,90,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-692306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-andy-burnham","tag-environment","tag-fossil-fuels","tag-net-zero","tag-north-sea-og","tag-prime-minister","tag-renewable-energy","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}