Burnham recommits to net zero by 2050 with £30m for community energy
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on 17 September 2026 that his government will reach net zero by 2050 and announced almost £30m for community-owned renewable energy.
Net zero, in this context, means the UK would add no net greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by 2050. Any emissions left would need to be matched by removals. Burnham wrote about plans for community-led local green energy projects. He argued the UK must fully commit to the 2050 date. “I am determined that we meet the commitment on which Labour was elected and reach net zero by 2050,” he said. The Guardian
What was announced
The funding, announced on 17 September 2026, will support People’s Power community energy projects in every nation of the UK. Think of them as small, local power stations owned in part by the people who live near them. Every council and community group that receives funding will have at least part-ownership of its renewable project. The policy will run alongside the removal of VAT, a tax added to bills, from household electricity bills from the beginning of October 2026. The Guardian
Burnham described the money as the first down payment on a £1bn Great British Energy programme. The programme is planned to fund more than 1,000 People’s Power projects over time. In September 2026, Great British Energy rolled out the first wave of those projects, with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishing news titled “‘People's Power’ projects to give more control over local energy” credited to The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP.
Pressure and competing positions
Burnham said the UK had just come through its hottest summer on record. The Conservatives and Reform UK have rejected net zero targets. A decision on approving the Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea was delayed until later in autumn 2026. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is considering responses on Jackdaw and the Rosebank oilfield.
The statement came after pressure. More than 50 organisations urged Burnham in August to break silence on the climate crisis. Labour points to a clean power 2030 target and large-scale investment in clean energy including nuclear. Burnham has also promised to transfer power from Westminster to every postcode in the country. He was criticised for moving to cut electric vehicle sales targets and accept North Sea drilling.
Wider background
The institutional pipeline was already visible. The GOV.UK page “Community Energy Fund projects (May 2026)” was updated on 8 September 2026, listing recipients including Burnham and Weston CIC with £36,350. Michael Shanks was appointed Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 21 July 2026. Greater Manchester is on track to reach its legal clean air targets by the end of 2026 through its investment-led Clean Air Plan.
Burnham became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade in July, pledging to reshape British politics to deliver a new economic model. He also pledged to deliver stability and provide immediate help on the cost-of-living crisis. On foreign policy, he said the UK must be ‘bolder’ in seeking closer EU ties and told Costa that Britain should build on existing defence and security cooperation with European allies. Carbon Brief had compiled 28 statements by Burnham about climate change, net-zero, fossil fuels, energy and transport.
The broader context here is leverage and timing. Community part-ownership gives ministers a delivery system that is local and visible, separate from large contracts for big power plants. It also gives critics a clear measure. Results will be counted in projects funded, power delivered and bills lowered. Tests to watch are planning approvals, grid connection queues and whether the Jackdaw and Rosebank decisions tighten or loosen the 2050 commitment.
