The head of IPPR’s Environmental Justice Commission has reacted
to the Prime Minister’s call to ‘build back better’ and work
for a ‘fairer, greener, and more resilient
global economy’.
Luke Murphy, Head of the Environmental Justice
Commission at IPPR, said:
"The Prime Minister is right that we must
build back better after
this crisis, but words must
be met with action.
“Just yesterday, IPPR’s Environmental Justice
Commission set out the beginnings of a blueprint to
secure a fairer, greener and more resilient
economy. It will require the
government to take a new approach to tackling the climate and
nature crisis that goes ‘faster, further, and is
fairer’.
“As a first
step, the government should commit to
stepping up investment to secure a green
recovery, supporting projects
like insulating homes, planting trees
and infrastructure to increase walking and
cycling which will create jobs and help
kick-start the economy after the
Covid-19 crisis.
“The Prime Minister rightly
pointed out that our national efforts will
count for little unless they are fortified by
international cooperation across
borders. As host of COP 26,
the UK has the opportunity
to drive climate ambition around the world,
but the government needs to commit to
a more ambitious target
for reducing emissions
by 2030 to
secure higher commitments from
other countries.”
ENDS
Luke Murphy , head of the
commission, is available for print or broadcast interview
via Skype
CONTACT
David Wastell, Head of News and
Communications: 07921 403651 d.wastell@ippr.org
Robin Harvey, Digital and Media Officer: 07779
204798 r.harvey@ippr.org
NOTES TO EDITORS
-
The first major report of the IPPR Environmental
Justice Commission, Faster, Further, Fairer: Tackling the
climate and nature emergency together was published
yesterday and is available for download at: http://www.ippr.org/research/publications/faster-further-fairer
- To set the UK on the right path, the commission calls
on the UK government, and devolved administrations where
appropriate, to go faster, further and fairer
by:
-
Commit to decarbonise the economy significantly
faster over the next decade.
-
Invest “at least £30 billion” in a green
recovery to help build the net-zero economy of the
future and restore nature across the UK.
-
Direct this investment initially to “shovel-ready”
green projects that will generate most jobs.
-
Set a target for “consumption
emissions”, the carbon burnt abroad to make and
supply everything the UK imports.
-
Add a target for the UK’s global environmental
footprint – damage done to nature and air, water
and soil, here and abroad - in the current Environment
Bill.
-
Audit all government activities, policies, rules
and decision-making.
-
Ensure how we decarbonise the economy is fairer by
setting up a new “Net Zero and Just Transition” delivery
body. It would be responsible for plans to capture
the benefits of a Net Zero economy for all, with the needs of
communities most affected by the change put at their
heart.
-
Invest £5 billion in a national Just Transition
Fund to help regions that need to make the
greatest changes do so fairly, with funding devolved as far as
possible
3. IPPR’s cross-party Environmental Justice
Commission was established last year to help develop
the ideas and policies to bring about a rapid green transition
that is fair and just. It is chaired by and . They are joined on the
commission by leading figures from business, academia, civil
society, trade unions, and youth and climate
activism. MP was also a co-chair until
his recent appointment to the shadow cabinet.
4. Find out more about the commission
here: https://www.ippr.org/environment-and-justice
5. IPPR is the UK’s pre-eminent progressive
think tank. With more than 40 staff in offices in London,
Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh, IPPR is Britain’s only
national think tank with a truly national
presence. www.ippr.org
