A group called The Climate Coalition (about whose work, funding and staff it is remarkably quiet on its own website, I have to say with some concern) have got 57 organisations to sign up to its action plan for climate recovery, issued this morning.
The list includes some well-known names. They've agreed to this:
There is, of course, nothing to object to in this list, and maybe that's all you can expect when you get 57 varieties of organisation to sign up.
That the demands made for the UK economy are uncontentious is reflected in the fact that the CBI has issued a press release since the release of UK unemployment data this morning, most of which says (and apologies for not having a link; this was emailed to me):
“Unemployment falls unevenly across society and leaves scars that last generations. The urgent priority must be creating inclusive jobs today, by turbo charging the sustainable industries of tomorrow. This should be backed by a revolution in retraining, with business, government and education providers stepping up to reskill communities for the future.”
I think it's fair to say that there is, then, a consensus about this being the way to deliver a recovery. That said though, the lack of ambition in this plan is very worrying.
Note that they are only looking to create 100,000 jobs. Even todays completely understated unemployment data suggests that 600,000 jobs have already been lost in the UK. In the circumstances these organisations are not calling for anything that looks vaguely like a recovery at all. And that is because the scale of their ambition is far too limited.
Caroline Lucas and I have suggested this morning that there is funding available, if sufficient imagination is used, for a £100 billion a year programme of investment in the UK. I am completely convinced that this is possible, and that is before any aspect of modern monetary theory is taken into account.
At the same time the demands made for accountability are also weak, and continue the myth that this can somehow continue outside the mainstream of financial reporting, as if climate change is an optional extra, when it is absolutely core to our future. We need sustainable cost accounting now.
I regret to say that in that case I find this call rather depressing. If climate NGOs are not going to be ambitious now whenever are they going to be? We face the biggest crisis we've ever known, which is simultaneously the necessary basis for change and what we have got are demands for 100,000 jobs when many, many times more are needed, and could be delivered.
Are we really going to let another crisis go to waste?
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“Are we really going to let another crisis go to waste?”
Probably…
At the risk of sounding defensive about the NGOs – and I did work for one, in particular on Green Economy; I just don’t think they have the depth of expertise to do the detailed analysis to get the numbers, both on the impact needed (eg jobs) or the input that requires (funding).
Good at what they do, in their niches, and useful members of a team working with others who do have the economic expertise
E3G were in the list
They’ve done excellent work on this
And they should talk to CommonWeal
And even the GND Group
They didn’t
I agree that these proposals by the 57 NGOs are moving in the right direction but considering how urgent the climate crisis is, is only scratching the surface. It may be a bit harsh just to dismiss the proposals as “greenwash”, enough to placate climate activists (?) and not enough to frighten the free market capitalist dogmatic horses. I don’t know whether organisations such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have signed this, let alone Extinction Rebellion, but if so this is a complete sell out to the business as usual brigade.
Greenpeace has
There own proposals are pretty timid too …. far too much so
They know I think that
Talk is cheap, as the saying goes.
This action plan for climate recovery just makes my mind glaze over. It’s the same buzzwords as ever with a distinct feeling of patting themselves on the back for having more signatories than someone else.
I have no real faith that humanity will avert a climate disaster. Unless and until, the wolf is at the door, people won’t do much more than put the rubbish in the correct recycling bin.
I’m sure some NGO’s do good work. I feel a lot just exist to give themselves an income. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a charity appear asking for £2 per month to help charities affected by coronavirus donation losses. The charities charity.
Jeez, what I’ve written is really depressing and moany.
Maybe some aspects of lockdown should be focused on by charities to try and get something good out of it for the planet. Instead of everyone returning to work, maybe more could work from home a few days per week. Or with all the time people have spent at home, maybe some wildlife friendly areas of gardens (rather than plastic grass and chips) can be created to give a patchwork for nature across the U.K.
It’s difficult to stay upbeat on the subject of climate change. I think smaller, simpler, achievable goals should be set for the public, along with bigger, more ambitious, actual action from government (mostly) and companies (partly) would be desirable.
Just less of the buzzword filled presentations.
Oh and I recommend the book ‘Clade’ by James Bradley for an idea of how climate change shall pan out.