Leading climate scientists who helped create Greater Manchester’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2038 are urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to rule out new North Sea oil drilling. Their appeal is rooted in climate commitments they say he supported while serving as mayor.
The scientists set out their case in a letter to the prime minister, arguing that approving fresh offshore drilling would be hard to reconcile with the emissions goals previously associated with Greater Manchester. The intervention places Burnham’s earlier climate positioning at the center of a wider national debate over energy policy.
At issue is whether past support for ambitious local climate targets should now translate into a firm national stance against expanding fossil fuel extraction. The call for Burnham to unequivocally reject new North Sea drilling reflects concerns that new oil development would undermine progress toward long-term carbon goals.
The pressure on the government also highlights the broader tension between energy production and climate action in the UK. For the scientists behind Greater Manchester’s 2038 target, the decision on North Sea drilling is being presented as a clear test of whether earlier climate pledges will be upheld in office.
