Andy Burnham, now serving as prime minister, has the chance to advance policies he advocated during his tenure as mayor of Greater Manchester, particularly regarding regional governance and climate resilience. As mayor, Burnham and other regional leaders called for statutory responsibilities for climate and environmental issues to be assigned to England’s strategic authorities, reflecting the need for coordinated regional responses to the growing impacts of climate change.
The call for enhanced devolution hinges on the principle that decision-making should occur at the level where it is most effective, enabling regions to manage their long-term prosperity through stable fiscal arrangements and clear statutory duties. Such arrangements would support comprehensive investment strategies covering housing, transport, and economic growth.
The urgency of this approach is underscored by the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related events like heatwaves and wildfires, which do not adhere to existing local government boundaries. Effective adaptation requires integrated planning across sectors including transport, health, emergency services, utilities, and land management.
London’s approach offers a model for this strategy. Under Mayor Sadiq Khan, the city commissioned the London Climate Resilience Review, culminating in the Heat Ready London plan. This represents the capital’s first comprehensive framework to prepare for rising temperatures and related risks by coordinating public services and critical infrastructure. The outcome illustrates how strategic authorities can transform climate risk assessments into actionable cross-sector plans.
Experts argue that fiscal devolution and statutory climate resilience responsibilities should not be seen as rivals but as complementary measures. Combining both would empower regional leadership to foster economic growth while equipping communities and infrastructure to better withstand climate impacts.
Professor Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the National Heat Risk Commission and affiliated with the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, emphasizes that such integrated regional leadership is increasingly necessary for England’s future.
In summary, Burnham’s premiership presents an opportunity to embed earlier calls for devolved fiscal powers alongside statutory climate duties, establishing the regional governance needed to address both economic and environmental challenges in tandem.