NG73:new ng template.qxd 03/09/2007 17:01 Page 1 Issue 73, Autumn 2007 Labour campaigning for environmental progress and social justice Environment Campaign new grou nd Winning the Green Election Stephen Hale - The Cameron Threat Emma Burnell - Why Labour must fight the next election on Climate Change With manifesto ideas from Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Frances O’Grady, Dave Prentis, Elliot Morley MP, Lord Chris Smith and many more. NG73:new ng template.qxd 03/09/2007 17:01 Page 2 ng welcome contents ew Leader, new times. In the space of a few months Labour’s prospects look distinctly upbeat and it seems an election will be upon us in months rather than years. SERA has Gordon Brown always worked hard to ensure that the party and Hywel Lloyd on Labour’s new Prime Minister 3 Election Manifesto have presented as green a Labour N On-Site Renewable Energy prospective as possible. As we know from our last edition we can expect to enter the election with the SERA support the Merton rule 4 Climate Change Bill under our belts, the most radical approach to carbon reduction seen from a government SERA Urban Wallking Group anywhere. The question for us all is can we deliver on Vincent Stops on SERA’s initiative to promote walking 5 the more than 60% carbon dioxide reduction? Waste Strategy For England Philippa Roberts on the Review of the Waste Strategy 6 It is fundamentally important that we do, for if the UK with an economy of such strength and wealth finds the Climate Camp 2007 challenge beyond us then what hope for a low carbon Romney Tansley report from this year’s event outside Heathrow 7 developing world and a low carbon developed world? The UK has always been a well connected, Local Transport Bill entrepreneurial innovatory nation that has led the world. Andrew Pakes on SERA’s response to the Local Transport Bill 8 We have our unique connections with the USA, the EU and importantly the Commonwealth through which we Local News can engage many nations in what works; we clearly have Resports from Bristol SERA and SERA Scotland 9 the wealth and wealth creators; we have the talents to show how this can be done. Winning the Green Vote Emma Burnell on how and why Labour must woo green voters 10 This edition brings forward a number of policy proposals which build on ideas already in the public domain, many Environmental Politics of which SERA has been instrumental in helping the Stephen Hale on David Cameron and Labour’s challengers 12 Labour Party take onboard. These ideas can both deliver on the necessary CO2 reductions and help us win our A Red/Green Manifesto fourth term, not least because female voters (key to our Ideas for the greening of Gordon Brown’s next election manifesto electoral success so far) are much more environmentally 14 aware and concerned than male voters. Land Value Taxation Dave Wetzel on a fair way to encourage affordable, sustainable Our task over the coming weeks is to ensure Labour has development 18 the political support and political will to boldly implement these policies the Labour way, fair to all. Hywel Lloyd Chair of SERA new ground is published by SERA, 2nd Floor, 1 London Bridge, Downstream Building, London SE1 9BG Telephone 020 7022 1985 email [email protected] Website www.sera.org.uk With thanks to Emma Burnell, National Coordinator, the SERA Executive, Nik Horne for page layout All views expressed in new ground are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of SERA, its executive or its members. 2 new ground campaigning for environmental change and social justice NG73:new ng template.qxd 03/09/2007 17:01 Page 3 News Gordon Brown Gordon Brown, Labour Leader, Prime Minister . green activist . ? he transition of power and responsibility has gone well, Labour are up in the polls and a confidence returns to the movement about the challenges ahead, all of which is important to the red greens and the greening of Labour. Fundamental to SERA’s role and position Tin the Labour movement is that we are in power to deliver by applying Labour principles to the environmental challenges and opportunities we face. Those principles include recognition of the need for an internationalist approach, an awareness of the importance of solidarity between peoples, in Britain and beyond, and fundamentally the importance of equity – ensuring the policies we deploy are fair and socially just. So we welcome the smooth transition of power and congratulate Gordon Brown on the measured, thoughtful approach he has taken to establish himself as a leader of the Treasury Green Book down. Then we can begin the substance, clearly a Labour leader capable of winning his building of the low carbon infrastructure we will need, and own mandate, which is good for both environment justice which will help engender a successful low carbon economy. and social justice. Not only is Gordon committed to all new homes being built to Climate change and environmental issues have plenty of zero carbon standards by 2016, when speaking to the Green political choices in them, choices that will become starker at Alliance in May this year he went further “I want to extend the next general election. And the Prime Minister will not our ambition to all homes. Over the next decade my aim is need reminding of the impact of the summer floods, just one that every home for which it is practically possible will example of “weather of mass destruction” that will only get become low carbon.” Again a real opportunity to reduce worse as climate change bites. Just think of the impact of emissions, as well as address fuel poverty and further such flooding had it fallen on central London. empower local government and local communities to meet the climate change challenge. Gordon Brown is the first serving Prime Minster to be a SERA member. He is well placed to build on the powerful We can, of course, help make the move to a success low achievement of Tony Blair, nationally and internationally. carbon economy and the necessary low carbon Both David Miliband and Douglas Alexander are committed infrastructure, happen more effectively, coherently and with supporters and respectively SERA president and Vice much greater urgency. Low carbon choices are good for President, who can push the climate change agenda Britain’s future and Labour, led by Gordon Brown can help internationally. deliver them. Domestically this government is committed to legislating for On pages 10-13 of this magazine SERA National Coordinator CO2 reduction through the Climate Change Bill and as Emma Burnell and Green Alliance Director Stephen Hale set Chancellor Gordon Brown instigated the Stern Report. Stern out the political challenges facing Labour on this issue, and shows us all the scale of the challenge and the economic also examine these opportunities and the best way of benefit of action today. Now we need to ensure that the achieving them. investment challenge identified by Stern is writ large in the Comprehensive Spending Review and in the guidance and Hywel Lloyd is Chair of SERA regulations that govern all our infrastructure decisions, from 3 NG73:new ng template.qxd 03/09/2007 17:01 Page 4 News On-Site Renewable Energy SERA Support for the Merton Rule eading green groups including SERA and the Sustainable Energy Partnership urged the Government to maintain its support for the Merton rule. The Merton Rule is a borough-wide local planning policy which requires developers to ensure 10% of a buildings’ energy is Lprovided by onsite renewables on major new developments where viable. This comes in direct response to the public lobbying campaign by the British Property Federation and Home Builders Federation against the rule to force the Government into a totally unnecessary and politically damaging u-turn. The policy, first developed by the then Labour boroughs of Merton and Croydon was enthusiastically endorsed by housing Minister Yvette Cooper MP in a Commons Ministerial Statement on 8 June 2006 and is enshrined in current renewable and sustainable energy policy and one of its few Government planning guidance. renewable energy policy successes in recent years. Last year Yvette Cooper's Department wrote to every local The current campaign by the British Property Federation and planning authority in the country with instructions to include Home Builders Federation to overturn this modest yet proven a Merton rule in their draft local plans. A DCLG press release and highly successful policy in the forthcoming Climate promised that it would include this request "in the new Change Policy Planning Statement is nothing short of planning policy guidance on climate change." To date, the scandalous. Bearing in mind the urgent need to reduce CO 2 GLA, three other English regions, and 20 Local Planning emissions, there is no evidence that the Merton rule has Authorities have fully adopted the policy with another 150 deterred development, that the technologies are untested, about to do so. unavailable or unproven, or that developers find it hard to deliver onsite renewables. Quite the reverse. The Merton Rule is a key plank of the Government's wider Ron Bailey is the Sustainable Energy Partnership Organiser SERA Appoint Dr Amanda Root knowledge and skills is coming to work at SERA, and we SERA are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr are very excited at the opportunities for increased Amanda Root as their new Parliamentary Officer. Amanda parliamentary work her appointment will bring.” is also a Senior Research Associate at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment.