‘Act on the evidence outside the window’: Andy Burnham urged to stick to net zero targets if he becomes PM

Britain’s net zero economy is booming. The sector is worth £100bn a year to the UK , has outpaced other sectors , and supports higher-paying jobs than the average. For a union leader to suggest that the man who has overseen this impressive record – the energy secretary, Ed Miliband – would be a “noose around the neck” of job creation , as Unite’s Sharon Graham has done, might seem extraordinary. But the debate on net zero is often suffused with more wasted heat and less useful light than an old-style incandescent bulb. Andy Burnham, the prospective next prime minister, is coming under pressure to join the ranks of the sceptics , and reverse Labour’s longstanding championing of the move to renewable energy and low-carbon industry. There are many reasons why he should resist . “Net zero is one of the few glues that unites Labour’s coalition,” says Luke Tryl, the executive director of More in Common, the non-profit research agency. “There is limited electoral benefit to ditching it and much potential harm.” Andy Burnham. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA More than 60% of people support net zero and climate action, numerous polls suggest. Although it is eclipsed by the cost of living as a priority for voters, the appeal crosses political divides – about a third of Reform voters support the target, despite the onslaught against it from Nigel Farage and Richard Tice. …