ALLIANCE GREEN NEW DEAL Party Headquarters 88 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1HE 028 9032 4274 [email protected] https://twitter.com/allianceparty www.facebook.com/alliancepartyni www.allianceparty.org Published and promoted by Sharon Lowry on behalf of The Alliance Party of 88 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HE. Printed by GPS Colour Graphics Ltd, 4 Marshalls Road, Belfast BT5 6SR. APRIL 2021 www.allianceparty.org WHAT IS A GREEN NEW DEAL? 2 TOP PROPOSALS 3 INTRODUCTION ALLIANCE GREEN NEW DEAL 4 UK CONTEXT 5 NI CONTEXT 6 CHAPTER 1: THE GREEN ECONOMY THE GREEN ECONOMY 8 GREEN RECOVERY 8 ECONOMIC POLICIES & DELIVERY 9 JOB CREATION 9 SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE 10 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 11 EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS 11 CHAPTER 2: FINANCE ISSUES FUNDING A GREEN RECOVERY 14 TAX & SPENDING REFORM 14 NI COST OF DIVISION 15 PERSONAL INCOME 16 CHAPTER 3: GOVERNMENT NI EXECUTIVE 18 ALL-ISLAND COLLABORATION 19 UK GOVERNMENT 19 CHAPTER 4: INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSPORT 21 ENERGY 24 PLANNING & HOUSING 26 SOCIAL CARE 28 CHAPTER 5: CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE 30 NATURE & BIODIVERSITY 31 WASTE MANAGEMENT 32 CHAPTER 6: GLOBAL JUSTICE 33 CONTENTS PAGE 1 • Transition to a Green Economy • Guarantee zero-carbon public that prioritises investment, transport with better routes wellbeing and the planet. right across NI and cheaper fares for disabled people and • Create over 50,000 secure young people. green jobs across NI, with targeted bursaries and • Offer interest-free loans for an retraining allowances. electric vehicle and accelerated installation of • Provide a universal, affordable charging points. childcare system so we can all access new opportunities. • Establish mandatory agriculture audits to help • Legislate for workers’ rights in farmers transition to the gig economy. sustainable farming. • Reform and restore dignity in • Ban current and future fossil the unjust social security fuel exploration, including system. fracking. • Fight for migrants’ rights and • Hold citizens assemblies to to overhaul the Home Office. place social dialogue and • Retrofit all social housing and equity at the centre of provide grants to retrofit decision-making. privately owned homes. WHAT IS A GREEN NEW DEAL? • Demand tax justice. • Invest in our Social Care workforce and ensure care jobs are well-paid and secure. It’s about rapidly decarbonising our economy, The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us how and in doing so, creating an equitable, our economy and society directly impact sustainable economy filled with well-paid, our ability to get through a crisis: from secure green jobs in existing and emerging our physical and mental health, our job industries. and our housing conditions, to our access to social security, green space and public Alliance has developed its own Green New services. Deal tailored to Northern Ireland. The policies OUR PRIORITIES in this document show how we can simultaneously combat the climate Tackling the climate emergency likewise emergency and inequality through involves much more than environmental investment, radical change and breaking down policy. the barriers of division. A Green New Deal recognises that tackling We don’t want to return to the status quo. the climate emergency goes hand in hand with economic and social justice. Together, we don’t have to. PAGE 2 WHAT IS A GREEN NEW DEAL? OUR PRIORITIES PAGE 3 ALLIANCE GREEN NEW DEAL 4 We, too, have an opportunity to dream big UK CONTEXT UK CONTEXT 5 and need a recovery plan that better protects us in the future. While we will all experience the effects of NI CONTEXT 6 This time, any New Deal must be a Green New climate change, we won’t all do so Deal, and any economic recovery stimulus equally, nor do we all bear equal must be for a green recovery. responsibility. In fact, we can trace half of global industrial emissions since 1988 to Experts are increasingly stressing the need for just 25 corporate and state-owned a major investment-led, green recovery entities, including ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, because addressing the climate emergency and Chevron.1 goes hand in hand with an economic and social transformation. The world’s richest 10% produce around The fight against the climate emergency 50% of all emissions. requires more than environmental policy tweaks. The Alliance Green New Deal Meanwhile, the poorest half of the world’s demands urgent, radical change based on population – 3.5 billion people – is long-term security and collective prosperity. responsible for just 10% of carbon emissions, yet they are the most This is our vision for an urgent, radical threatened by the catastrophic storms, overhaul of the policies and practices that droughts, and other severe weather shocks INTRODUCTION hinder our progress and exploit our people linked to climate change. and our planet. It’s also our plan to grasp the enormous opportunities in moving towards a Confronting Carbon Inequality (2020), Oxfam. sustainable, green economy, with the Alliance ALLIANCE GREEN NEW DEAL Young people across the world have taken the Green New Deal creating at least 50,000 jobs For this reason, the 2015 Paris Climate lead in challenging Governments to protect by 2030. Agreement demands that high-income countries go further, faster in radically Alliance has a vision for a united the planet: they protested to demand the This past year, we have acted in solidarity at reducing emissions, by no later than the community: an inclusive, dynamic, change we need to secure their future. We an unprecedented scale to protect one “second half of this century”. It also requires prosperous and sustainable Northern joined their marches, and we listened. another. Alliance is committed to breaking governments to reduce emissions “on the Ireland where we can all thrive, enjoy down the barriers of division. We want to Time is quickly running out to tackle the basis of equity, and in the context of living freely and securely and be treated build upon these efforts and accelerate the climate emergency. Yet, in doing so, we can sustainable development and efforts to with dignity in a region rich with creation of a wonderfully diverse, inclusive build the future we not only want but need: eradicate poverty.” opportunities and biodiversity. We believe society that stands united in protecting our • Creating thousands of secure, green jobs in a society for everyone. future. The 2021 United Nations Climate Change by stimulating our economy and reskilling Conference (COP26) will take place in The Alliance Green New Deal shows what we workers; Glasgow in November, under the UK’s As we emerge from the pandemic, it’s time can achieve together in Northern Ireland and presidency. This is a critical landmark as for this vision to become a reality. • Preserving our planet for future how Alliance will use its influence in participating countries’ decisions will define generations; and Westminster for UK-wide intervention and From Covid-19 to losing our place in the our future: we must reach net-zero emissions • Building an inclusive, equitable society for global action. It also outlines how we can European Union, we know how unbelievably no later than 2050 to achieve the 1.50C goal. facilitate collaboration on an all-island basis. our lives can be upended, with things we once everyone. The UK has set its target for net-zero took for granted taken from us. We have a chance for change. These principles will underpin our priorities emissions by 2050. We believe this is far too Change for good. going forward, and the document will evolve The pandemic has laid bare the injustices and slow, and the UK should be providing more as we reach milestones in recovery and the weaknesses in our society and economy. We want to learn lessons from the past year, robust and demonstrable leadership. If the UK reduction of emissions. It's worth noting that We’ve seen the damage caused by acting too build a new society, invest in thousands of cannot reach net carbon zero well ahead of this document is intended to accompany, and slowly, chronically underfunded public secure, green jobs, and transform our 2050, it is unlikely that the rest of the world not replace, our next Manifesto. services, and flawed, short-term, and self- economy to become both sustainable and will do so. serving decisions. equitable. Therefore, the UK must have much more Emerging from the pandemic, we will likely Throughout history, periods of great upheaval ambitious targets and frontload the changes face a weakened economy, significant job have sparked incredible change: from the New to policy and practices with clear binding losses and more entrenched inequalities. Deal in response to the Great Depression, to milestones along the way. the birth of the welfare state and NHS from And the pandemic is not the only crisis we The UK also recently dissolved its Department World War II. face. While everyday life has felt at a standstill for International Development, cut its foreign the past year, climate change continues to aid budget, and introduced tighter accelerate. 1 The Carbon Majors Database, CDP Carbon Majors Report 2017. PAGE 4 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION PAGE 5 immigration restrictions, signalling a The Alliance Green New Deal puts forward THE GREEN ECONOMY 8 significant shift away from its crucial proposals to achieve nature-friendly farming commitments under the Paris Agreement. that reduces emissions while protecting GREEN RECOVERY 8 wildlife, biodiversity, and small farmers. Now more than ever, governments like the UK ECONOMIC POLICIES & DELIVERY 9 must lead the way with radical change, end Active travel and our public transport network JOB CREATION 9 fossil fuel subsidies, and prioritise the rights of have suffered from chronic underinvestment SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE 10 those marginalised politically, economically for years, which means we are hugely over- and socially – those least responsible and reliant on private car use.