This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Rebuild the economy out of lockdown with a Green New Deal
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Government has intervened in the economy in an unprecedented way.
The recovery must not simply reinstate 'business as usual' – Parliament must introduce a radical 10-year strategy for public investment to decarbonise the economy and eradicate inequality.
More details
UK Parliament declared a Climate Emergency on 1 May 2019, but our emissions reduction efforts have so far fallen dangerously short.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted both the power of Government to make rapid changes to protect people, and the extreme costs of delay.
The economic lockdown, while painful for so many, has resulted in a significant cut in emissions.
We must rebuild from the Coronavirus tragedy with the economic and social renewal mapped out by the cross-party Green New Deal Bill.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 21 July 2020
The Government is committed to a green, resilient recovery from COVID-19 and has already made announcements to demonstrate this commitment including a £3bn investment in building energy efficiency.
The UK has led the world in tackling climate change – since 1990, we have cut emissions by 43% while growing the economy by 75%, we were the first major economy to set a net zero target in legislation, and will host the crucial COP26 talks in November 2021.
As the Prime Minister set out in his speech on 30 June, the Government intends to build back better, build back greener, and build back faster – enabling us to deliver a UK economy which is greener, more sustainable, and more resilient. Whilst it is clear that the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 is likely to have an impact on emissions both domestically and globally, it does not change the nature of the net zero challenge and the need to transform the UK economy over the next three decades to end our contribution to climate change. Many of the actions the UK needs to take to reach its climate target of net zero can also support the economy to recover from COVID-19.
In his Economy Speech on 30 June, the Prime Minister announced a number of initiatives that will contribute towards a green recovery, including:
Up to £100 million of new funding for research and develop a brand-new clean technology, Direct Air Capture (DAC), which captures CO2 emissions directly from the air around us; and
A new £40 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund to kick start a programme of nature-based projects aimed at addressing the twin challenges of halting biodiversity loss and tackling climate change, while creating job.
At the Summer Economic Statement, the Chancellor announced further measures to support a green recovery, including £3 billion of new investment to support up to 130,000 green jobs and upgrade buildings. This included:
A £2 billion ‘Green Homes Grant’ to help people improve the efficiency of their homes and accelerate progress towards net zero, while supporting jobs and reducing energy bills to help tackle fuel poverty;
A £1 billion investment over the next year in a new Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to upgrade public sector buildings, including schools and hospitals, making them fit to help meet net zero through improved energy efficiency and low carbon heating; and
£50 million to demonstrate innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale to start the decarbonisation of social housing over 20/21.
These announcements build on others made this year, including support for low carbon industries announced through the Spring Budget, reflecting the Government’s commitment to reach the net zero ambition whilst creating green jobs and growing the economy as we recover from the pandemic. The Government will continue to set out further measures as part of its green agenda in the run up to COP26 in November 2021, including through the publication of an Energy White Paper and a National Infrastructure Strategy later in 2020.
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Related activity
Tell MPs what you think about the Climate Assembly’s recommendations for net-zero emissions
MPs from six select committees of the House of Commons joined together to set up a citizens’ assembly on climate change to look at how the UK should reach its commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Climate Assembly UK brought together 108 people from across the UK. Together they were representative of the wider UK population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, where in the UK they live, whether they live in an urban or rural area, and how concerned they are about climate change.
They worked together to create recommendations to Government.
How can you help?
MPs want to know what you and your communities think about the recommendations made by the assembly.
Discuss these questions with your school, workplace, family or community group and submit a joint response. It’s a great opportunity to hear others’ views on these issues and to share the outcomes of your discussions with MPs.
Share your answers via this online survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/A464RU/
Please return your responses by Friday 20th November 2020.
Read more about the Assembly and its recommendations: https://www.ukparliamentweek.org/en/blog/tell-the-climate-assembly-what-your-group-thinks-about-their-recommendations/
Information provided in the survey will be used to inform the select committees’ ongoing work on net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
What is a Select Committee?
Select Committees are cross-party groups of MPs. They are independent of the Government.
Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
MPs to debate the Final Report of Climate Assembly UK on the path to net zero
MPs will debate the Final Report of Climate Assembly UK on the path to net zero this Thursday 26 November in the main House of Commons Chamber. The subject of the debate has been determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
This will be a debate on a motion proposed by Darren Jones MP, on which Members may vote at the end of the debate. It calls for the Government to take note of the recommendations of the Assembly as it develops the policies necessary to achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2050.
The debate will start at around 11.00am, following the Business Statement and questions to the Leader of the House.
Watch here this Thursday: https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/4a97645c-8b6c-4ccc-a267-b564dfeab638
Find out more about how Parliamentary debates work: https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/
Find out more about the Backbench Business Committee: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/202/backbench-business-committee/
MPs publish report following findings of Climate Assembly UK
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee (a group of MPs who scrutinise the work of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) published a report last month on how the Government has responded to the UK's first citizens' assembly on climate change.
In the report MPs on the Committee said that the Government should follow the principles set out by Climate Assembly UK and ensure fairness underpins the transition to net zero.
Read an interactive summary of the report:
https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/climate-assembly-beis-committee/index.html
Read the full report:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmbeis/546/54602.htm
The Committee’s report, ‘Climate Assembly UK: where are we now?’, makes a series of recommendations to Government on public engagement and education, on deliberative democracy, and on the net zero transition, in order to capitalise on the work of Climate Assembly UK (CAUK).
The report urges the Government to come forward with the Net Zero Review as a matter of priority, and to do so along with the Net Zero Strategy, to ensure there is genuine consultation and engagement with the public, businesses and industry to drive forward efforts to decarbonise.
Climate Assembly UK
Climate Assembly UK (CAUK) was the first UK-wide citizens’ assembly on climate change, called by six Select Committees of the House of Commons to examine potential pathways to achieve the Government’s net zero target to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The outcomes of the Assembly’s discussions were presented in a report published last September, which you can read here: https://www.climateassembly.uk/report/
What happens next?
The Government now must respond to the Committee's report, which was published on 8 July 2021, within two months. The Committee will publish the Government’s response here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/365/business-energy-and-industrial-strategy-committee/
What is the BEIS Committee?
The BEIS Committee is a cross-party group of MPs who scrutinise the policy, spending and administration of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and its public bodies, including Ofgem, the Financial Reporting Council and the Climate Change Committee. The Committee is independent of the Government.
Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work: https://twitter.com/CommonsBEIS
The BEIS Committee is a select committee. Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
Government respond to report on prioritising the climate and nature in post-covid recovery
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) published the Government's response to their report, "Growing back better: putting nature and net zero at the heart of the economic recovery."
In its report the EAC put forward a number of recommendations stressing the need for the economic recovery from covid-19 to be addressed in tandem with prioritising environmental priorities on climate change and nature recovery.
In a response to the report, the Government confirmed that the National Infrastructure Bank—set up to finance infrastructure projects across the UK—will be a public institution on a permanent basis. They have committed to reviewing the case for broadening the Bank’s mandate to include improving the UK’s natural capital, before bringing forward legislation to put the Bank on a statutory footing.
The Government response includes responses to the Committee’s recommendations on:
- Transport infrastructure and nature recovery
- Homes and energy efficiency
- Industry, particularly carbon border adjustments
- Investment in nature
- VAT reductions
- Green finance
Read a summary of the Government response:
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/306/greening-the-postcovid-recovery/news/156038/government-accepts-eac-recommendation-for-national-infrastructure-bank-to-be-permanent-with-possible-future-focus-on-nature-recovery/
Read the full Government response:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmenvaud/327/32702.htm
Read the Committee's report:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmenvaud/347/34702.htm
What is the Environmental Audit Committee?
The Environmental Audit Committee is a cross-party group of MPs who look into how Government policies and departments contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development. The Committee is independent of the Government.
Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work:
https://twitter.com/CommonsEAC
The Environmental Audit Committee is a select committee. Find out how Select Committees work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c