UK government delays release of climate-security report amid new advisory appointment

Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his speech at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey to reaffirm the United Kingdom’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and to announce the appointment of Madeleine Alessandri as a climate-security adviser. Alessandri, a former head of the UK’s Joint Intelligence Committee, oversaw a classified report that links ecosystem collapse – including the Amazon rainforest – to risks such as food shortages, price spikes, mass migration and potential conflict.

The report, which was slated for release at last year’s COP26, was not published by the previous government and remains under wraps despite a redacted version being leaked earlier this year. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has briefed foreign governments on its findings, and Burnham said the document influenced his decision to create the new advisory role.

“The message I carry here, in my first COP as prime minister, is that the UK remains determined to reach net zero by 2050 and to work with our partners to build a clean energy future,” Burnham told delegates.

He added that reliance on imported energy makes the UK vulnerable to price volatility and that electrification is essential for energy security. Burnham highlighted lower operating costs for electric cars and heat pumps compared with petrol vehicles and gas boilers.

Critics note that the government has not published the full report and that Burnham lacks a dedicated climate adviser in Downing Street. Environmental groups and some senior officials have expressed concern that other policy moves – such as approval of the Jackdaw gasfield, reduced funding for heat pumps and consideration of the Rosebank oilfield – could undermine climate commitments.

Greenpeace UK’s head of politics, Ami McCarthy, said the prime minister’s speech “hit the right notes” but warned that “noises offstage about a massive new oilfield and looser rules on electric cars” could dilute its impact.

Burnham also met with International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol, who praised the prime minister’s commitment to UK electrification.

The government was contacted for comment but did not respond.