The UK will aim to show leadership in global climate issues that have taken a backseat in recent years, as Britain remains committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and working with all its partners to reach their respective climate goals, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya on Thursday.
“The message I carry here at my first COP as UK Prime Minister is this. We’re committed to meeting our 2050 net zero target and committed to working with all of our partners to reach theirs,” Burnham said at the global summit in the Turkish resort.
“Britain will live up to its commitments. We will help our friends as they live up to theirs. Britain is back and ready to play its full part,” the official added.
The UK will also support the summit’s focus on electrification, as it boosts energy security, creates good jobs, and lowers energy bills, Burnham noted.
The climate summit is focusing on efforts, targets, and means to raise the share of electrification to 35% of final energy consumption by 2035, the so-called ‘35-35 target’, rather than on cutting fossil fuel production.
Turkey, the COP31 summit’s host, plans to develop natural gas discoveries in the Black Sea and drill for oil and gas both offshore and onshore to boost its energy independence.
“Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency is placing a strong emphasis on accelerating action across several energy priorities, including the 35-by-35 electrification ambition, zero waste and methane, efficient buildings and resilient cities, and clean cooking and energy access,” the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on the eve of the summit.
Britain, despite doubling down on net zero and pledging leadership in climate issues, has recently taken a ‘pragmatic’ approach to new oil and gas projects in the UK North Sea.
The UK government last month approved the long-delayed Jackdaw gas field in the first approval of a new North Sea project since the Iran war hiked energy prices.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
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