Prime Minister Andy Burnham reaffirmed his commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2050 and announced nearly £30 million in funding for community-led renewable energy projects. His announcement comes despite a cross-party parliamentary committee recommending that the Government abandon the term "Net Zero" as it has become toxic to voters and acts as a lightning rod for opposition to climate action. The move represents Burnham's strongest intervention on the issue, following criticism that he responded slowly to the UK's hottest summer on record.

The "People's Power" funding will enable communities to build and control their own clean energy supplies, with Burnham arguing this offers the "only lasting way to bring down bills". However, he faces competing pressures: climate campaigners demand he block proposed North Sea oil and gas developments at Jackdaw and Rosebank, whilst the oil industry and opposition politicians argue these would create jobs and reduce costs. Both the Conservative Party and Reform UK have broken from the previous political consensus on climate policy, with the Tories abandoning the 2050 Net Zero target and Reform attacking green policies as "net stupid zero".