Former NEF CEO takes the helm of UK’s decarbonisation efforts
Miatta Fahnbulleh, MP for Peckham and Lewisham North and former chief executive of the think tank New Economics Foundation, is set to lead the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as part of a wider cabinet reshuffle under Britain’s new prime minister Andy Burnham.
Fahnbulleh, who was elected as an MP in 2024, had previously served as parliamentary under-secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero before being promoted to secretary of state for Energy Security and Net Zero.
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She previously led the New Economics Foundation from 2017 to 2023 and worked at the IPPR as Director of Policy and Research.
Fahnbulleh replaces Ed Miliband, who during his time in office helped lift the effective ban on new onshore wind, advancing the government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition, and strengthening support for renewable energy investment.
Her appointment comes amid continued uncertainty over whether the UK will resume new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.
Given her track record at the New Economics Foundation and her involvement in developing the Warm Homes Plan, Fahnbulleh is expected to place greater emphasis on affordability and fairness, while seeking to reduce energy costs for UK households.
The UK is currently in the midsts of its eighth Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round, which will play a critical role in scaling up low-carbon electricity generation. As secretary of state for Energy Security and Net Zero, Fahnbulleh will have influence over the strategic direction of future allocation rounds, including the balance between cost efficiency, energy security and industrial policy objectives.
Her appointment could see CfD auctions place greater emphasis on supply-chain resilience and domestic economic benefits, moving closer towards an industrial strategy approach similar in ambition to the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, while maintaining the market-based framework defining the current scheme.
