The Labour for a Green New Deal campaign has been (very successfully) promoting a motion for this September’s Labour Party conference; we have been promoting a more radical, socialist version, based on the demands made by the Fire Brigades Union conference in May. (For discussion of the political differences, see here.) Below are eight radical variants submitted for conference so far; thanks to the comrades who sent them to us.
If you’ve submitted a motion on this or something else you’d like us to publish, or you want help submitting something, email us at theclarionmag@gmail.com
Sheffield Central CLP
Conference notes:
1) To prevent the worst effects of climate change, global temperature increase must be kept below 1.5°C.
2) Over 1°C has already occurred, causing floods, droughts, heatwaves, pollution, and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Tackling climate change is indivisible from social, racial and economic justice.
3) 100 corporations are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions. The Tories are deregulating fossil-fuel industry while cutting support for renewables.
Conference believes:
Labour should build on support for climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion by campaigning for a Socialist Green New Deal – demands for decarbonisation and transformation of the economy that attacks inequality while curbing global warming, based on public ownership and investment and democratic control.
Conference calls on the next Labour government to implement:
– A target of net-zero UK carbon emissions by 2030.
– Creation of millions of public, well-paid, unionised green jobs.
– Public ownership of:
• Energy including expropriating the Big Six, creating an integrated, democratic system with large-scale investment in renewables, phasing out fossil fuels.
• Transport; expanded, integrated, free or cheaper
– A public programme manufacturing, installing and training in renewable technologies and eliminating waste with regulation to retrofit/build green homes and tackle fuel poverty.
– A workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to alternatives; public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards.
– Democratic public ownership of banking and finance, providing resources and economic leverage.
– Ending airport expansion.
– Repeal all anti-union laws so workers can take action over social/political issues including climate change.
Newcastle East CLP
1. Labour must deliver a Green New Deal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through a fair transition for all communities and citizens, securing clean air and water, healthy food, good quality, high-wage, unionised jobs; a sustainable environment and building resilience against climate change related disasters.
2. Only a socialist system based on collective ownership and production for need, not profit, can guarantee a sustainable relationship between humanity and nature. Labour must mobilise the UK’s resources and expertise, creating millions of well-paid, unionised, socially useful jobs, by:
• a national climate strategy and service to manufacture, install and provide training in renewable technologies and waste elimination;
• bringing all energy generation and supply into public ownership , creating a national energy system;
• a publicly-owned, integrated, non-polluting, free or cheap and greatly expanded public transport system; ending airport expansion and working to reduce air travel emissions;
• building affordable, high-quality, zero-carbon housing for all and insulating existing social housing and public buildings;
• ending all fossil fuel extraction with transition plans for every affected workplace and community;
• deepening and diversifying manufacturing and industry locally and regionally, working with unions to rebalance the economy equitably, to guarantee living standards and sustainable communities;
• working with agriculture to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
• promoting international technological exchange, expertise, products, resources and services to learn from and help other countries achieve a Green New Deal.
Broxtowe CLP
Conference notes:
1. Preventing the worst effects of climate change, necessitates keeping global temperature increase below 1.5°C.
2. Over 1°C has already occurred, causing deaths and natural disasters with the poorest – particularly the Global South – suffering most.Tackling climate change is indivisible from social, racial and economic justice.
3. 100 companies are overwhelmingly responsible for carbon emissions;Tories promote and deregulate fossil-fuel industries while cutting support for renewables.
Conference believes:
Building on recent activism (climate strikes; Extinction Rebellion), Labour should campaign for a Socialist Green New Deal – demanding democratically controlled decarbonisation and transformation of the economy; reducing inequality while curbing global warming.
Conference calls on the next Labour government to implement:
A target of net-zero UK carbon emissions by 2030.
Democratic, accountable, public ownership of:
– Banking and finance – providing resources and economic leverage.
– Energy – investing in renewables, phasing out fossil fuels;expropriating the Big Six
– Transport – expanded, integrated, free or cheaper; ending airport expansion.
A public programme of manufacturing and training in renewable technologies and waste-elimination; mass building, insulation, and retrofitting of zero-carbon council housing and public buildings.
A workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to alternatives;public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards; creation of millions of public, well-paid, unionised green jobs.
Repeal anti-union laws, facilitating worker-led activism over social and political issues, including climate change.
Welcoming climate refugees while taking measures against the displacement of people from their homes and supporting developing countries’ climate transitions by increasing transfers of finance, technology and capacity.
Liverpool Riverside CLP
Conference notes:
1. To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we must keep the global temperature increase below 1.5°C.
2. Over 1°C has already occurred, causing floods, droughts, heatwaves, pollution, and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Tackling climate change is indivisible from social, racial and economic justice.
3. 100 corporations are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions. The Tories are deregulating fossil-fuel industry while cutting support for renewables.
Conference believes:
Labour should build on support for the climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion by campaigning for a Socialist Green New Deal – demands for decarbonisation and transformation of the economy that attacks inequality while curbing global warming, based on public ownership, public investment and democratic control.
Conference calls on the next Labour government to implement:
A target of net-zero UK carbon emissions by 2030.
Public ownership of energy including expropriating the Big Six, creating an integrated, democratic system.
Large-scale investment in renewables, rapidly phasing out all fossil fuels.
Public ownership of green transport – expanded, integrated, free or cheaper.
A public program manufacturing, installing and training in renewable technologies and eliminating waste.
Mass insulation and building and retrofitting zero-carbon council housing and public buildings.
A workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to well-paid, unionized green alternatives; public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards.
Supporting developing countries’ climate transitions by increasing transfers of finance, technology and capacity.
Ending airport expansion.
Repeal of all anti-union laws, so workers can take action over social and political issues including climate change.
Charnwood CLP
Conference notes:
1. To mitigate climate change, we must keep the global temperature increase below 1.5°C.
2. Over 1°C has already occurred, causing floods, droughts, heatwaves, pollution, and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Tackling climate change is indivisible from social, economic and racial justice.
3. 100 corporations are responsible for the majority of emissions. The Tories are deregulating fossil-fuel industry while cutting support for renewables.
Conference believes:
1. Labour should build on support for climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion by campaigning for a Socialist Green New Deal – demands for decarbonisation and transformation of the economy that attack inequality while curbing global warming, based on public ownership, public investment and democratic control.
Conference calls on Labour in government to implement:
A target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Creation of millions of public, well-paid, unionised green jobs.
Public ownership of energy, creating an integrated, democratic system; expropriate the Big Six. Large-scale investment in renewables, phasing out fossil fuels.
Public ownership of transport – expanded, integrated, free or cheaper.
A public program manufacturing, installing and training in renewable technologies and eliminating waste. Mass insulation and building and retrofitting zero-carbon council housing and public buildings.
A workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to alternatives; public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards.
Democratic public ownership of banking and finance, providing resources and economic leverage.
Ending airport expansion.
Support for developing countries’ climate transitions, transferring finance, technology and capacity.
Repealing all anti-union laws, so workers can take action over political and social issues including climate change.
Dover and Deal CLP
Conference notes:
1. To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we must keep the global temperature increase below 1.5°C.
2. Over 1°C has already occurred, causing floods, droughts, heatwaves, pollution, and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Tackling climate change is indivisible from social, racial and economic justice.
3. 100 corporations are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions. The Tories are deregulating fossil-fuel industry while cutting support for renewables.
Conference believes:
1. Labour should build on support for the climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion by campaigning for a Socialist Green New Deal – demands for decarbonisation and transformation of the economy that attacks inequality while curbing global warming, based on public ownership, public investment and democratic control.
Conference calls on the next Labour government to implement:
A target of net-zero UK carbon emissions by 2030.
Creation of millions of public, well-paid, unionised green jobs.
Public ownership of energy including expropriating the Big Six, creating an integrated, democratic system. Large-scale investment in renewables, phasing out fossil fuels.
Public ownership of transport – expanded, integrated, free or cheaper.
A public program manufacturing, installing and training in renewable technologies and eliminating waste. Mass insulation and building and retrofitting zero-carbon council housing and public buildings.
A workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to alternatives; public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards.
Democratic public ownership of banking and finance, providing resources and economic leverage.
Ending airport expansion.
Repeal of all anti-union laws, so workers can take action over social and political issues including climate change.
Leicester South CLP
Conference notes:
1. To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we must keep the global temperature increase below 1.5°C.
2. Over 1°C has already occurred, causing floods, droughts, heatwaves and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Tackling climate change is indivisible from social, racial and economic justice.
3. 100 corporations are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions. The Tories are deregulating fossil-fuel industry while cutting support for renewables.
Conference believes:
1. Labour should build on support for the climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion by campaigning for a Socialist Green New Deal – demands for decarbonisation and transformation of the economy that attacks inequality while curbing global warming, based on public ownership, public investment and democratic control.
Conference calls on the next Labour government to implement:
A target of net-zero UK carbon emissions by 2030.
Creation of millions of public, well-paid, unionised green jobs.
Public ownership of energy including expropriating the Big Six, creating an integrated, democratic system. Large-scale investment in sustainable energy, phasing out fossil fuels.
Public ownership of transport – expanded, integrated, free or cheaper.
A public program manufacturing, installing and training in renewable technologies and eliminating waste. Mass insulation and building and retrofitting zero-carbon council housing and public buildings.
A workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to alternatives; public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards.
Democratic public ownership of banking and finance, providing resources and economic leverage.
Ending airport expansion.
Repeal of all anti-union laws, so workers can take action over social and political issues including climate change.
In addition this version was submitted by Evelyn branch to Lewisham Deptford CLP, where it was passed but not prioritised for submission:
Conference notes:
1. That over 1°C global temperature rise has occurred causing hundreds of thousands of deaths in the Global South. We must keep warming below 1.5°C.
2. That tackling climate change is indivisible from social, racial, and economic justice.
3. That 100 companies are responsible for most carbon emissions.
Conference believes:
1. That a radical Green New Deal must be in Labour’s manifesto – based on public investment, public ownership, democratic control and regulation, transformation. This should include:
Commitment to zero carbon emissions by 2030.
No fracking, aviation expansion, carbon trading, new coal, nuclear or biofuels.
A worker and community-led just transition to well-paid, unionised, green jobs. Creation of a million public sector green jobs.
Public ownership of energy including expropriating the Big Six. Rapid movement to renewables.
Public ownership of transport – green, integrated, free.
Public ownership of banking and finance, providing necessary economic leverage and resources.
Insulating, retrofitting and building zero-carbon housing stock, public buildings, etc.
Reducing animal agriculture and providing food sovereignty.
A race and gender equality economic plan which recognises unpaid workers.
Supporting developing countries’ climate transitions by increasing transfers of finance, technology and capacity.
Repealing all anti-union laws so that workers can freely take action over wider social and political injustices, including climate change.
Welcoming climate refugees whilst abating climate displacement.
The Fire Brigades Union submitted the following (for the policy passed at FBU conference, to which this is similar, see here)
Conference believes Labour should campaign for a Socialist Green New Deal. Decarbonisation could produce thousands of well-paid, skilled jobs in renewables and the supply chain. This will be based on public ownership and democratic control.
Conference calls on Labour to implement:
• The cost of decarbonisation must be borne by the wealthiest not the poorest, through progressive taxation.
• No company registered in a tax haven should receive public subsidies and a register of all companies in receipt of public money should be published.
• Energy construction contracts in the UK are legally required to include local labour clauses in those contracts.
• Investment in skills to meet our needs now and in future.
• Companies in receipt of subsidies, contractors and sub-contractors, covered by a national recognition and collective bargaining agreement.
• Companies in receipt of public subsidy must report information on the output and performance of renewable energy facilities to ensure delivery of secure, reliable, cost-effective energy.
• Public ownership of energy, creating an integrated, democratic system; public ownership of the Big Six.
• Public ownership of transport – expanded, integrated, free or cheaper.
• Public programme for manufacturing, installing and training in renewable technologies.
• Building and retrofitting of zero-carbon council housing and public buildings.
• A workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to alternatives; public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards.
• Democratic public ownership of banking and finance, providing resources and economic leverage.
• Support for developing countries’ climate transitions, transferring finance, technology and capacity.
• Legislation empowering workers to take action over political and social issues including climate change.
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