Greens claim other parties cannot catch up
THE GREEN Party has said it will invest around £100bn a year in tackling climate change, including legislation for a “green new deal” intended to set Britain on track to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2030.
The party – which is strongly pro-Remain – is also promising a People’s Vote Bill for a fresh referendum on Britain’s relationship with the EU.
Speaking yesterday at the official launch of the party manifesto at the London Wetlands Centre, co-leader Jonathan Bartley promised that their green new deal would be the most ambitious in the world.
Mr Bartley said that the issue of climate change had been overshadowed by financial crises, but those responsible had been “let off the hook”.
“World leaders rushed to help a failing economic model. We returned to business as usual. Then we turbo-charged business as usual,” he said.
“Back then our economy itself warned us that things had to change. Now our very planet is ringing the alarm.”
“Hitting snooze for another 15 years simply isn’t an option. This is a different magnitude to the financial crash. You can’t double down on business as usual, pray to the markets and expect the climate emergency to magically go into reverse.”
Under the party’s plans, it would raise £91bn a year for the next decade for capital expenditure on tackling climate change.
“This is the most ambitious green new deal proposed anywhere in the world. While the other parties are trying to catch up, we’re still racing ahead, reaching new horizons,” Mr Bartley said.
A further £9bn a year in operational spending would be funded through raising taxes, including corporation tax which would rise to 24 per cent. The party argues that borrowing on such a scale is justified partly due to the looming climate crisis.