Is Andy Burnham serious about climate security? Here’s how we will know

At COP31, Andy Burnham framed climate change as a security issue and appointed the UK’s first Special Representative for Climate Security. Beatrice Mosello argues this is important because climate disruption already affects food, energy and economic stability, including in Britain, and says the appointment must lead to practical action.

The article proposes three tests: whether the UK backs international climate adaptation and loss-and-damage funding; whether it builds a coalition on resilience during its upcoming G20 presidency; and whether it delivers the Clean Electrification Roadmap through investment in power networks, clean generation and efficiency. Four of the UK’s five worst harvests on record have occurred since 2020, while around 20 per cent of globally traded oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.