More than 50 leading environmental organisations, including Greenpeace, WWF, and Friends of the Earth, have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, accusing him of remaining silent on the climate crisis as the UK endures its fifth heatwave of the year. The extreme weather, marked by widespread droughts and devastating wildfires, has closed schools, strained regional transport networks, and pushed the NHS to the brink. Despite holding a COBRA meeting this week, Burnham failed to utter the words “climate change” in his subsequent statements, sparking fierce criticism from climate advocates and even members of the Labour Party.
The Cost of Silence and Economic Strain
Coordinated by Hannah Martin, co-director of Green New Deal Rising, the letter underscores that unprecedented extreme heat is acting as a direct brake on the UK economy. The groups argue that without explicitly naming the root cause of the rapidly changing environment—fossil fuel-driven climate breakdown—the government cannot adequately prepare the public or enact the necessary policies to cut carbon emissions rapidly. The Met Office has already announced that this summer is on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began, with scientists warning that conditions will only worsen until global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions are achieved.
Contrasting Stances and the Future of Fossil Fuels
While Andy Burnham has faced mounting pressure, newly appointed Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband recently released a video explicitly linking the extreme conditions to a national security threat. Meanwhile, green campaigners are demanding a definitive halt to new fossil fuel projects, pointing to upcoming government decisions regarding drilling at the Jackdaw gas field and Rosebank oil field as the ultimate litmus test. Robert Palmer, deputy director of Uplift, stressed that the prime minister must look out of the window, face the reality of the crisis, and reject major new oil and gas developments to protect the country’s future.
A Call for True Leadership
Environmental leaders draw a sharp contrast between Burnham‘s current federal hesitation and his previous, more outspoken stance as Mayor of Greater Manchester, where he backed the global fossil fuel treaty. As the country faces devastating harvests, water shortages, and health alerts, signatories argue that the British public deserves honest, transparent leadership capable of tackling this grave threat to lives and livelihoods.
