Next week’s Labour party conference will see a big push to back radical plans for combatting climate change, with a motion backing the so called ‘Green New Deal’ attracting more support than any other from local parties.
A list of motions submitted by Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) to next week’s annual gathering in Brighton shows that nearly 128 have thrown their weight behind the motion – the highest of all those submitted. The second highest – opposing Brexit – attracted around 90 CLPs.
Green New Deal is a twin track programme of state investment and regulation designed to reduce inequality while pursuing efforts to prevent runaway global warming.
The bulk of motions related to Green New Deal include a commitment to net-zero emissions by 2030; the rapid phase out all fossil fuels and large-scale investment in renewables.
It has also been endorsed by the Fire Brigades Union, the GMB and the BFAWU bakers’ union.
The FBU called for “expropriation” of the Big Six and BFAWU urged a future Labour government to extend its proposed nationalisation programme to these biggest suppliers.
The GMB’s motion calls for the development and roll out of green hydrogen gas to help decarbonise heat, while developing Carbon Capture Storage and continuing to support nuclear power.
Welcoming the backing for the motion, Adrienne Buller, co-director of Labour for a Green New Deal, said: “Climate breakdown is the defining issue of the 21st century, so it’s no surprise that Labour members have put the Green New Deal top of the agenda for this year’s party conference.
“The upcoming general election will not only be a Brexit election, but a climate election. With a radical and transformative Green New Deal which offers a vision of shared hope and prosperity, Labour will stand ready to win it.”
At the Liberal Democrat party conference earlier this week, the party committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.