Key facts
- Green party leader Zack Polanski warned that Labour's retreat on climate action would lead to political obscurity.
- Some trade union leaders and politicians, like Wes Streeting, support increased North Sea oil and gas drilling.
- Other unions and environmental advocates urge Labour to double down on climate commitments and restrict drilling.
- Critics argue that North Sea oil and gas jobs have declined significantly and reserves are largely depleted.
- A report indicates the net zero economy is a substantial and growing contributor to the UK's GDP.
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, has issued a stark warning to the Labour party, stating that any retreat from climate action commitments would lead to political obscurity. Speaking amid a heatwave, Polanski urged Andy Burnham, widely anticipated to be the next UK Prime Minister, to adopt bold climate justice policies.
Polanski emphasized that "half measures or backsliding on climate action would be a moral and political failure" and would result in the country becoming poorer and Labour slipping further into obscurity.
The debate within Labour and the trade union movement over climate commitments has intensified, particularly concerning further drilling in the North Sea. Andrea Egan, the leader of Unison, has called for an end to new oil and gas drilling, arguing that it would not benefit working-class people and would be irresponsible to the global south.
However, some figures within the party and movement advocate for increased drilling. Wes Streeting, former health secretary, has supported new drilling, including the Rosebank oilfield. Sharon Graham, leader of the Unite union, which represents oil and gas workers, also backs new drilling, viewing net zero commitments as a hindrance to job creation. The British Chambers of Commerce suggested exploiting remaining North Sea fossil fuels to prevent job losses.
Critics of increased drilling point to a significant decline in industry jobs over the past decade and highlight that a large majority of viable oil and gas has already been extracted from the North Sea basin. Despite previous governments issuing numerous licenses, job numbers have more than halved.
Polanski reiterated that boosting fossil fuel production would be detrimental to Labour's electoral prospects, citing the economic costs of delayed transition to clean energy and the current extreme heat as a reminder of the need to stop burning fossil fuels.
Conversely, a recent CBI report found that the net zero economy contributes approximately £100 billion annually to the UK, growing faster than the broader economy and creating higher-paid jobs.
Other unions, such as the Fire Brigades Union and the National Education Union, have also urged Burnham's government to strengthen climate plans. Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, noted that his members are on the front lines of climate-related events like wildfires and heatwaves, underscoring the need for urgent climate action and restrictions on North Sea drilling. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, stated that the current extreme heatwave is not the time to move away from tackling the causes of climate change.