Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Manchester and now Britain's next Prime Minister, faces a critical juncture as he navigates the complex interplay between economic rescue and climate action. With the UK grappling with the consequences of heatwaves, including thousands of deaths, damaged harvests, and soaring energy prices, Burnham's environmental credentials are under scrutiny. The question on everyone's mind is: How green is Andy Burnham?
Burnham's record in Manchester suggests a clear understanding of the challenge. He set a local target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2038, expanded and began to electrify bus services, embarked on home insulation programs, and expressed enthusiasm for green growth. However, his approach to fracking and the North Sea oil industry has been less clear. While he rejected fracking for the northwest of England, Burnham has been open-minded about further drilling in the North Sea, despite economists like Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, stating that new fields will not bring down UK fuel prices or stimulate growth.
One of the key decisions Burnham will face is over the future of the Jackdaw gasfield. A consultation on this will run until August 8th. Along with the Rosebank oilfield, it is one of two big potential drilling sites in UK waters that could slip through Labour's manifesto promise to ban new licenses. Speculation is growing that Burnham could green-light Jackdaw as a sop to right-wingers and some unions. However, experts argue that the bigger picture is more important than individual decisions like this.
Burnham's philosophy of 'Manchesterism' offers clues about his approach. He prizes reindustrialization and local solutions to social and economic problems. Some interpret this as a pursuit of growth at all costs, including high-carbon and fossil-fueled growth. However, Robbie Macpherson, a Kennedy scholar at Harvard University, suggests that Burnham's priority is cheaper energy, economic growth, good jobs, and five more years in power. He argues that an ecosystem of local authorities, workers, environmentalists, and communities around the country are already racing down this path and stand ready to support Burnham in taking the rapid growth of Britain's green sector to the next level.
Reindustrialization can indeed be green. The low-carbon economy is worth £100 billion a year and supports more than 1 million jobs that pay higher than average, according to CBI data. Burnham's favor for public control of utilities could be helpful in changing how the UK energy market works, and he must be robustly interventionist in the market to bring down bills. To do this, he needs to reform the energy market to stop gas from setting the price of electricity and remove all levies on electricity bills for households, businesses, and industry.
In conclusion, Andy Burnham's green credentials are complex and multifaceted. While he has a clear understanding of the challenge and has taken steps to address it in Manchester, his approach to fracking and the North Sea oil industry is less clear. The key decisions he faces, such as the future of the Jackdaw gasfield, will be critical in determining the direction of his environmental policies. Ultimately, Burnham's ability to balance economic rescue and climate action will determine his legacy as Britain's next Prime Minister.
