Ed Miliband, the energy secretary who drove the UK’s fastest clean energy expansion, has moved to the Foreign Office after 18 months in the role. His tenure was marked by a relentless focus on decarbonising the power sector by 2030, despite fierce opposition from Conservatives, Reform UK, the fossil fuel industry, and even some in his own party.
Within 72 hours of taking office in July 2024, Miliband lifted the ban on onshore windfarms and began consenting offshore wind and solar projects while reforming the grid connection queue. Auctions secured enough low-carbon generation for about 23 million homes, and the warm homes plan aimed to lift 1 million families out of fuel poverty. A new nuclear programme for small modular reactors was also launched.
Miliband’s department secured approximately £100 billion in private sector investment for clean technology and a plan to support 400,000 low-carbon jobs. Ed Matthew of E3G called him “the most successful minister under the Starmer administration,” attributing vicious attacks from rightwing media and industry to his effectiveness.
However, reports indicate that Prime Minister Andy Burnham may soon approve new North Sea oil and gas fields, including Jackdaw and Rosebank—a step Miliband had previously labelled “climate vandalism.” The move would not technically breach the manifesto ban, which left a loophole for licences already in the planning system.
Miliband’s transfer to the Foreign Office allows him to apply his climate expertise globally. “This is an energy revolution which is now inevitable,” Matthew said, “and no amount of grumbling by politicians and media barons funded by fossil fuel interests can reverse it.”
