Ed Miliband Delivers First Annual Speech to Parliament on Climate Crisis and Nature Decline

Energy and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband has told fellow MPs that, with climate risks already affecting homes and businesses across the UK, any push to weaken climate goals is both unpatriotic and irresponsible. Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, 14 July, Miliband delivered a summary of the Met Office’s latest ‘State of the UK Climate’ report, just ahead of Parliament’s summer recess.

The report paints a stark picture. Since the 1980s, the UK’s climate has warmed steadily, by approximately 0.25°C per decade, with even more warming already committed. The last three years rank among the UK’s five warmest on record. Weather extremes are becoming increasingly pronounced, as well. In 2023 and 2024, rainfall was hefty, while the beginning of 2025 has seen arid conditions.

The Met Office concluded that weather extremes are “becoming the norm”, disrupting farming patterns and impacting key infrastructure, including transport and healthcare. It stated: “This pace of change and clustering of consecutive records is not a natural variation in our climate… the climate in the UK is now different to what it was just a few decades ago.”

Miliband said: “The fight to protect our home is a deeply British cause – it is about protecting our way of life and our natural world from significant dangers. Only by bringing down carbon emissions, protecting nature, and working internationally can we deliver energy security today and climate security for future generations.”

Miliband plans to make speeches like this one every year, aiming to keep climate action on Parliament’s agenda. He emphasised the need for integrated action across climate mitigation, adaptation, and nature restoration. This includes reducing emissions, building resilience to increasingly frequent climate impacts, and preserving ecosystems.

There have been growing calls for him to embody that message in his day-to-day role as well, by working more closely with other departments, particularly the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

But not everyone shares the same vision.

Reform UK has promised to scrap the UK’s 2050 net-zero target, which was set during Theresa May’s time as Prime Minister. That target was based on the 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned of the economic, social, and environmental dangers of letting global temperatures rise by 2°C.

Reform UK argues that major polluters, such as China and the United States, should bear a greater share of the burden in addressing climate change. They’ve also promised jobs through the coal and fracking industries. According to reports, nearly half of the party’s donations through May 2024 came from oil and gas interests.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has also stated that she would abandon the 2050 goal. She argues that sticking to the target would be too expensive, raise household bills, and threaten the UK’s energy security. Critics see this as an attempt to win back voters who have shifted their support to Reform UK.

However, evidence suggests that a green transition is well within reach. The Climate Change Committee’s updated ‘Balanced Pathway’ shows the UK can reach its 2042 decarbonisation goals with an average annual investment of just 0.2% of GDP. That’s down significantly from their 2020 forecast, which estimated it would require 0.5 to 1% of GDP annually.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has recently issued a clear warning: inaction will be more costly. With the global race toward a clean economy intensifying and climate impacts already being felt, they argue that the UK cannot afford to fall behind.

Green economy reaction

James Alexander, CEO of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Institute (UKSIF), said: “The net-zero transition is essential for addressing the destructive effects of climate breakdown.

“Our research has shown that UK pensioners are at risk of losing tens of billions of pounds by 2040, as they are disproportionately exposed to stranded fossil fuel assets. Meanwhile, the OBR recently pointed out the huge economic damage facing the NHS, businesses, and households from climate change.

“The UK Government has undertaken promising pledges to decarbonise our economy, with support for the renewable and sustainable finance sectors. But it must continue to deliver this critical evolution in the years to come.

“Politicians who hinder the drive to net-zero will leave communities more vulnerable to the huge economic and environmental costs of inaction.”

“While the loudest voices in the Conservative and Reform ranks continue to beat the weary old anti-net-zero drum, the real story is the overwhelming cross-party consensus for urgent, ambitious action,” added Lib Dem MP Roz Savage.

“The best way for ministers to turn this ambition into lasting progress is to embrace the full spirit of the Climate and Nature Bill by turning global promises into domestic law, driving coordinated action, and giving the public a voice. This is not just about nature – it is about securing our health, our livelihoods, and our national security for generations to come.”

The Bill includes measures that would compel the UK to set more ambitious targets to reduce its emissions and protect the natural environment. It would also create more binding duties for Ministers and Government departments to achieve these targets. Labour forced a debate on the Bill to be postponed at the start of the year.

Zero Hour campaign director Dr Amy McDonnell also said the speech must be turned into more concrete action. She said: “Miliband does… need to do more than berate his opponents.  Even now, his own colleagues are intent, through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and airport expansion, on ripping up environmental and climate protections in pursuit of ruthless economic growth at all costs.”