Andy Burnham pledges ‘new era of British climate leadership’ at Cop31 summit

Detailed summary

The Prime Minister will tell the UN gathering Britain ‘remains determined’ to reach net zero by 2050.

Andy Burnham will pledge a “new era of British leadership” on climate action as he announces a new climate security envoy at the United Nations Cop31 summit in Turkey, warning that the global consensus on tackling the crisis has broken down.

Attending the annual climate gathering for the first time as Prime Minister on Thursday, he will warn that the “climate crisis is upon all of us now” after a “not normal” summer of extreme heat, wildfires and drought.

He will insist the UK “remains determined to reach net zero by 2050”, amid accusations his Government is deprioritising the green agenda.

Mr Burnham is expected to be the only G7 leader to address the summit in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, with US President Donald Trump declining to send a delegation for the second year running.

The Prime Minister will announce that Dame Madeleine Alessandri, former chairwoman of the Joint Intelligence Committee which provides ministers with national security assessments, has been appointed special representative for climate security.

Her role will involve strengthening international partnerships and ensuring climate and nature risks are treated as a matter of national security, with a focus on identifying risks before they develop into crises.

Mr Burnham, who landed in Antalya on Wednesday evening, is expected to tell the conference: “We should all recognise the summer was not normal.

“We saw that with the wildfires that devastated lives and livelihoods everywhere.

“The message I carry here, in my first Cop as Prime Minister, is that the UK remains determined to reach net zero by 2050 and to work with our partners to build a clean energy future.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Evening Standard. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.