Andy Burnham has been criticised for moving to reduce electric vehicle sales targets and accept North Sea drilling at a time when the UK is experiencing wildfires that the prime minister has linked to the climate emergency, the Guardian reports.
Key facts
- Burnham has been criticised for moving to cut electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and accept North Sea drilling, according to the Guardian.
- Green campaigners say the reduction in EV sales targets could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to UK emissions, the Guardian reports.
- The prime minister acknowledged on Friday, for the first time, that the climate crisis was behind hundreds of UK wildfires, according to the Guardian.
- Hundreds of wildfires have affected parts of the UK, according to the Guardian.
Andy Burnham has been criticised for moving to cut electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and accept North Sea drilling at a time of wildfires that the Guardian describes as caused by the climate emergency, according to the newspaper.
Separately, the prime minister acknowledged on Friday, for the first time, that the climate crisis was behind hundreds of wildfires that have affected parts of the UK, the Guardian reported.
Green campaigners say the decision to reduce EV sales targets could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to the UK’s emissions, according to the Guardian.
The reported moves on EV targets and North Sea drilling have been criticised at a time when the Guardian says the UK is facing the impact of global heating.
Further details of the decisions, the extent of the criticism, and any response from Burnham were not set out in the available reporting.
Why it matters
Decisions on EV sales targets and North Sea drilling affect the UK's carbon emissions and its response to a warming climate. The criticism highlights tension between such policy choices and the impacts of the climate emergency, including the wildfires now affecting parts of the country.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Andy Burnham being criticised?
According to the Guardian, Burnham is being criticised for moving to cut electric vehicle sales targets and accept North Sea drilling at a time of devastating wildfires caused by the climate emergency.
What impact could cutting EV sales targets have?
Green campaigners say the reduction in EV sales targets could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to the UK's emissions, according to the Guardian.
What did the prime minister say about the wildfires?
The prime minister acknowledged on Friday, for the first time, that the climate crisis was behind hundreds of wildfires that have ripped across parts of the UK, the Guardian reported.