Burnham says climate consensus has "gone" as UK pitches new leadership at COP31

Andy Burnham has said that the consensus on science and climate change has "gone", as he set out the UK's position at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey.

COP is the annual UN summit at which countries discuss action on climate change. Speaking to world leaders at the meeting, the prime minister said the UK was ready to begin a "new era of British leadership" on the issue.

Mr Burnham said the UK's past summer was the hottest on record. He said climate change had made it 130 times more likely. Source

He also announced the creation of the UK's and the world's first climate security envoy role. Dame Madeleine Alessandri will hold the post. She is a former head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, a senior government body that deals with intelligence.

Mr Burnham said his government remained committed to meeting the UK's net zero target, which aims to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

The United States has taken a different path. President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement, the international deal on global warming. The US has been absent from the COP process over the last two years.

Turkey, which co-hosts COP31, wants countries to commit to meeting 35% of their energy supply from electricity by 2035.

On energy policy at home, the UK government approved the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea last month.

The UK will take up the G20 presidency next year. The G20 is a group of major economies, and the US is the current president.