Wales Green Party 1 CONTENTS Introduction – Anthony Slaughter 2 Our candidates 4 Green Guarantee: Our top 10 points 6 Our Approach 9 Joined-up thinking and policies Listening to science and honesty with the public Responding at scale Leading change that is fair Listening and learning government A Wales that can really work for change Finding the finance Green Window on the Valleys 12 How it fits together 14 Green Window on Rural and Coastal areas 16 Our Plan of Action 18 ENVIRONMENT 19 COMMUNITY 22 WORK 25 GOVERNMENT 28 Green Window on our Cities and Urban areas 32 2 1 his election is taking place in challenging These ambitious plans include the establishment times. The ongoing Covid 19 crisis has of a Green Transformation Fund for Wales which exposed the serious structural and systemic will raise finance, through issuing bonds, to fund: faults in our society and highlighted the ■ building thousands of zero carbon new homes obscene and growing levels of inequality each year thatT are destroying our communities. The coming INTRODUCTION severe financial recession will be made all the worse ■ installing rooftop solar on every hospital here in Wales by the predictable negative impacts of ■ converting thousands of houses to warm zero the Brexit fallout. This will impact most heavily on carbon homes each year poorer communities leaving them even more vulnerable. ■ replacing all diesel buses in Wales with electric Meanwhile both the ever-present Climate Emergency buses assembled in Wales and Nature Crisis become more urgent. Previous ‘once Wales Green Party’s Green New Deal will transform in a lifetime’ extreme weather events are happening Welsh society, providing Green jobs in a genuine with increasing regularity across the globe. Here in Wellbeing Economy, and better, healthier living through Wales, many communities now suffer severe flooding on warm homes and reduced air pollution, creating a an annual basis and a growing number of coastal towns cleaner and greener world for future generations, are under threat from rising sea levels. Here in Wales, for people and planet. global warming, pollution and habitat loss are creating landscapes empty of wildlife, as highlighted in the This year’s election is also a crucial moment for Welsh 2019 State of Nature Wales report. democracy. While the election of the new Senedd Cymru with increased powers is an historical moment for Wales, the entire devolution settlement is at risk, threatened by It doesn’t have a UK government intent on clawing back powers from the devolved nations. As a party that believes in the devolution of power to the lowest possible level, Greens to be this way. in the Senedd would do all in our power to resist this anthony Slaughter, Covid 19 and our society’s response has challenged attack on devolution, but defending devolution is not many long-held views of the way things could be enough. Wales Green Party believes that independence and should be, starting with a recognition of who our is a vital and necessary step toward building a Leader, Wales green Party economy and society really depend upon. We now greener and fairer Wales, a diverse, cosmopolitan realise that government can find the money when it and internationalist nation, committed to equality. with Sian Berry, Co-leader, green Party is needed. We must learn from all of this and ensure At a time of climate crisis, health crisis and democratic that as we come out of this crisis, our recovery is both crisis, Greens in the Senedd will make the difference fair and green. No more ‘business as usual’, which that is needed. With your support we can, and we will, would merely patch over the scars of this crisis. get those Greens elected this year. In recent times we This election is our opportunity to build a fairer, greener, have seen a wave of Green election successes across more resilient Wales. A Wales committed to the urgent the globe. From Europe, where Greens are now part of need to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and the government in eight countries, to the fantastic results to restoring nature. An equal Wales with secure lives in New Zealand last year. People are electing Greens for all, free of the poverty that has blighted our nation because they know elected Greens get things done. for too long. This manifesto details our plans to build that Wales, Wales deserves no less. starting with our bold and ambitious plans for a Green New Deal for Wales that will deliver the changes Wales Green Party have never been closer to winning needed, providing safe, secure lives for all and ensuring seats in the Senedd. carbon reduction targets are reached at the scale and pace needed to tackle the Climate Emergency. Your vote can get us there. Thank you. Anthony Slaughter Leader, Wales Green Party 2 3 OUR CANDIDATES South Wales South Wales Mid & West North South Wales East Central Wales Wales West Amelia Anthony Cllr Emily Cllr Iolo Megan Poppy Womack Slaughter Durrant Jones Lloyd In Wales we are Our Green 1 in 3 children are As a land use Housing is a human proud of our Transformation currently living planner, much right. Every single industrial past. We must Fund for Wales will in poverty. When did this of my interest lies in person, regardless of now be leaders in the enable us to invest in become accepted as the the interaction between age, sex, gender, ability, Green industrial future the infrastructure needed norm? It’s a scandal and it our natural and built sexuality or finance with investment in jobs, to produce clean energy, must be addressed now. environments. Strong deserves a safe home. “in clean energy, warm “warm homes and decent “We need to ensure that “urban design takes public “Society flourishes when homes and public transport. public transport, creating every decision we make opinion and environmental everyone is given a base We have the opportunity tens of thousands of contributes to bringing factors into account, both from which to contribute.” to genuinely support green secure jobs where children out of poverty. respecting the locality and workers across Wales they are sorely needed, I want families to have enabling residents to live while ensuring we stay returning industry to the time and resources healthy and sustainable below 1.5 degrees of areas devastated by to enjoy parenthood and lifestyles.” warming.” cuts and closures.” to give their children a safe, comfortable home, healthy food and opportunities to learn and to thrive.” 4 5 One Three Green New Deal Housing GREEN Housing is a basic human right. Everybody has the & the economy right to a secure, affordable, warm home that allows for a socially inclusive life. Wales Green Party will build Our ambitious Green New Deal and decarbonisation 12,000 new homes every year, built to the highest plans will be truly transformative delivering a just environmental and energy efficiency standards. The transition for a sustainable and resilient Wales, fit majority of these new houses will be for social housing for future generations, creating tens of thousands of to meet the urgent need. new Green jobs across Wales, and investing in carbon GUARANTEE: reducing infrastructure. We will ensure sufficient, ongoing investment to enable the retrofitting of existing housing stock to the highest energy We believe that public spending to support the economy efficient standards, lifting thousands out of fuel poverty. must prioritise new jobs for the climate and nature emergencies. Our Green Transformation Fund for Wales will raise the finance necessary for the urgent measures needed to tackle these twin crises. four OUR TOP 10 We will ensure basic financial security for all by advocating for the immediate introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI). This directly shares Health and care prosperity across society, reduces inequality, boosts The pandemic has exposed the deep health inequalities workers’ rights, and ends the toxic and costly benefits within our society and highlighted the scale of our system that leaves so many trapped in poverty. reliance on a dangerously overstretched NHS. We are committed to safeguarding the NHS as a free at the POINTS point of delivery, publicly funded body, and ensuring that health boards and local authorities have the funding Two needed to increase capacity across all areas of health and social care provision. Climate emergency We will ensure neighbourhood access to all treatments that can be made available locally, for example adopting and nature crisis an All-Wales strategy for cancer treatment. Provision of social support for disabled people, older people and Tackling the climate emergency and restoring nature their carers will be given early and quickly, enabling all are at the heart of Wales Green Party policy. Our policies to live fulfilled lives. across every area will ensure that carbon emission reduction targets are met at the scale and pace needed, as demanded by the science. We will deliver a Green vision for net zero by 2030, Five replacing fossil fuels with onshore and offshore renewable energy and making necessary upgrades Education to the electricity grid. We will appoint a new Welsh Government Commissioner We will put learning at the forefront of the adaptation for Biodiversity and Animal Protection to reverse the and change needed for Wales to recover to a greener decline of biodiversity in Wales. The Commissioner will and fairer future. Schools are an integral part of our develop a task force and set plans for the recovery of communities and we will stop the ongoing closure Welsh ecologies, landscapes, animals and plant life. of small rural schools. We will provide access to electronic devices for all children who need to learn from home, and access to structured programmes of work if they are unable to attend school.