Action on energy costs is my overriding aim, says Fahnbulleh

The energy secretary has stressed that affordability is her "overriding objective", as she said reducing bills would be key to maintaining public support for climate action.

Speaking to BBC Panorama, Miatta Fahnbulleh insisted that the government's drive for cleaner power would help to cut energy bills in the long term.

But she conceded that the push to reduce carbon emissions was currently "under pressure" amid discontent at rising prices in recent years.

It comes as ministers grapple with how to respond to a predicted surge in energy prices in January, expected to mark the biggest rise in bills for four years.

Labour has faced extra political pressure over its climate ambitions since coming to power, as Reform UK rose in opinion polls and the Conservatives under Kemi Badenoch disowned their previous ambition of reaching net zero by 2050.

Both opposition parties have taken particular aim at public subsidy schemes designed to boost renewable sources of electricity generation, arguing that the drive for cleaner energy has driven up costs for consumers.

UK households currently pay one of the highest rates for electricity in Europe.

Bills have increased due to subsidies but also because of the high price of gas (a fossil fuel) driven up by international conflicts.

Asked during her Panorama interview what her main task was, Fahnbulleh replied: "With the cost of living biting, affordability is my overriding objective, without a doubt."

In the interview, which was recorded last week, and aired on Monday night, she argued that Labour's push for greener electricity was "one of our routes to delivering affordability".

"The drive to clean power is about decoupling our dependence on global fossil fuel markets," she added. "Ultimately if we have homegrown renewables, nuclear, that's the way in which we will drive bills in the long term."

However, she conceded that struggles over energy affordability were part of the reason the consensus on climate action was "under pressure".

"People want to blame net zero for that. Now, I don't believe that's the case.

"But I'm very clear that part of the way in which we build and maintain public consent is that we've got to show that this transition, which we have to do on climate grounds, is good for people's pockets."

The UK had a record number of heatwaves this summer and suffered successive damaging wildfires, which the Met Office has said was made 130 times more likely by climate change.

Just last month, whilst hosting the UK's first summit on wildfires, Andy Burnham acknowledged that as a result of climate change "the summer we've just had is likely to be a more regular situation going forward".

But he has also vowed to lead a "cost of living government" and reindustralise the economy.

This has prompted some in Westminster to speculate that he could demote climate action to help reduce energy costs in the short-term.

His government has dismayed some green activists by diverting funding from the energy department to help meet defence funding targets, including money previously earmarked for energy efficiency schemes.

Last month the government approved drilling at the Jackdaw gas field which also prompted criticism from some campaigners, although ministers have sought to argue it will minimise imports of higher emission fuels.

A decision is yet to be taken on whether production can begin at Rosebank, the UK's largest known untapped oil field, located off the coast of Shetland.

Speaking to Panorama, Fahnbulleh insisted reducing carbon emissions "absolutely is a priority", pointing to this summer's droughts as evidence of the need to tackle global warming.

However, she conceded that Labour's target for 95% of electricity generated in Britain to come from clean power sources by 2030 was a "stretch".

On Monday, it was reported that the government is considering weakening the electric vehicle mandate requiring car manufacturers to phase out production of petrol and diesel cars by 2035.

This could prove a blow to not only the country's climate targets but the UK's claim to be providing leadership on the issues just as ministers head to Turkey for COP31, the UN's climate summit.