Introduction
In this platform, we trace the development of a Green
Socialist New Deal (GSND) from its origins in the ‘New Deal’ of the 1930s, to
the more recent Green New Deal. We believe that the latter can only be
effective in tackling the triple crises of finance, climate change and energy
prices through an eco-socialist alliance of workers and trade unions that
challenges the current capitalist order.
We outline a set of
interim proposals of a GSND, concluding that these medium- term changes would
reduce climate change and also enhance our democracy and human welfare.
History of New Deals
The ‘New Deal’ was a package of regulations, financial
reforms and public works in the USA introduced by President Roosevelt in
response to the depression after 1929. It was designed to deliver “the three
Rs” - Relief from poverty, economic Recovery and financial Reforms. Whilst full
employment was not restored until after the USA joined World War II in 1941,
when public expenditure for the war effort doubled GDP, the New Deal led to
significant economic recovery, major improvements in health and growth in employment.
Some programmes continue today and the concept of a New Deal remains a powerful
symbol of what governments can achieve when free market mechanisms fail.
In 2008 a group of prominent individuals in Britain (Economist
Ann Pettifor, Caroline Lucas, the Guardian’s Larry Elliott, Tony Juniper) published a set
of proposals under the title 'Green New
Deal' (GND) in response to the ‘triple
crunch’ facing the world: the financial crisis in2007-8, accelerating climate
change and soaring energy prices.
This concept of a GND has enthused radical movements across
the world and versions have proliferated on both sides of the Atlantic. Most
are confined to technical measures for addressing climate change and the
estimated cost of these. Few address the root causes of climate change,
environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, poverty, inequality and injustice.
For eco-socialists, a GND must involve restructuring societies and economies,
through democratic discussion among workers, unemployed people and their
organisations.
By 2019 – after ten years of Tory austerity – both Labour
and the Green Party included versions of the GND in
their General Election manifestoes. Both featured
imaginative proposals to rejuvenate Britain’s
infrastructure, energy systems, housing, transport,
environment, health and welfare. These were significant
policy advances to build on but have been insufficiently
radical
Transition to an eco-socialist future
Many proposals in our Green Socialist New Deal could
be implemented in the medium term within Britain’s
institutions and economic framework, as early steps
delivering radical change at local, regional and national
Green Socialist New Deal
level. This would prepare for a longer transition to a postcapitalist, democratic, green socialist future, to be
achieved by a new alliance of workers and eco-socialists
Proposals for the next decade
1. 1 CARBON NET ZERO
Government must legislate to ensure reductions in the use of coal, oil
and gas, consistent with Carbon Net Zero, by 2030s. This objective will require
a range of measures including:
➡ Carbon accounting by
companies: a requirement to measure and report the carbon emissions for which
they are responsible
➡ Carbon tax on industry and commerce, starting at £100 per ton and rising annually.
➡ Carbon budgeting and rationing
at national, community and household levels. Personal Carbon Allowance starting
around 1/2 ton per month and reducing each year.
1. 2 REDUCED ENERGY DEMAND AND EXPANSION OF
RENEWABLES
Government must simultaneously ensure:
➡ Reductions in energy demand, through home
insulation and energy conservation, modal shifts to electric mass transport
(train, bus and tram) and elimination of fossil fuel use by 2030s.
➡ Major investments in renewable energy sources -
solar, wind, wave, geothermal, hydro and tidal.
➡
Massive growth in material re-use and recycling of manufactured goods,
clothing, commodities, metals, etc - towards a near Zero Waste system and zero
toxic landfill.
1. 3 TWO MILLION + CLIMATE AND GREEN JOBS
Studies indicate that moving to a
carbon-free future can generate many good jobs, providing a Just Transition for
those whose jobs were in carbon intensive industries:
➡ Workers will be needed in the fast-expanding
renewable energy sectors (see above).
➡ The shift from gas and oil to electricity will
require upgrading the national grid, creating thousands of jobs in construction
and engineering.
➡ Τhe
insulation of millions of homes to new energy standards, with installation of
carbon-free heating, will require builders, electricians and fitters in large
numbers.
➡
Jobs in the care sector and in organic agriculture/agro/forestry will expand
as we transition from a profit[1]driven
to a needs-based and sustainable economy.
4. A JUST TRANSITION - PLANNED WORK TRANSFER
Decarbonising requires major and rapid shifts in economic activity,
replacing millions of jobs. This will need regional plans for guaranteed
well-paid replacement jobs with training
and skills development in new low carbon sectors.
It is vital that trade unions, workers
and communities can design, lead and cooperate in planning, as well as all
levels of government. New jobs must provide safe and healthy
working conditions and environmentally sustainable workplaces, as well as
rights of workers to information on the environmental impacts of their work and
whistleblower protection.
Other
social groups besides workers - including unpaid carers, the disabled,
pensioners and students - must share fairly in the ecological and social
benefits of the transition. The working week must allow more flexibility for
workers and their families, in terms of timing and number of hours/days at the
workplace and at home.
1. 5 GREEN TRANSPORT REVOLUTION
REDUCE- LOCALISE- DE-CARBONISE- ELECTRIFY/INTEGRATE
Transport
creates over 20% of carbon emissions. This must be reduced by over 90% by early
2030s. First we need reduce the need for transport by localising work,
commerce, services to each community. Essential services, like health, should
be within 20 minutes of most people. Hybrid working is here to stay. Long
commuting shall end.
Complete
rollout of digital broadband technology to cover everyone. This will involve a
massive decentralisation of public and private services in urban areas and
villages. This will help repopulate rural areas and further reduce wasteful
commuting.
Make
communities sustainable and food resilient. A huge shift from fossil fuel
vehicles to electric, battery, flywheel, hydrogen power over the ten+ years.
End
fossil fuel motors by 2032. Electric bus and coach network to be developed
across the Britain connecting most towns and villages on an hourly timetable.
Integrate public transport modes (Bus/ train)- all accessible. Phase in free
bus travel, starting in inner-city areas. Re-open and electrify many closed
rail-lines to connect districts across regions. Introduce a regional Travel
Card, monthly at 50 pounds.
Complete
electrification of railways alongside new urban tram networks by 2035. Phase
out heavy lorries over 10 tonnes and transfer freight to rail. Only electric
vans and lorries after 2030.
Build
new walkways (pavements) and continuous cycle lanes linking most towns and
villages across the countryside (up to 10 miles). Replace private motor traffic
with electric car pooling and ultra-local car clubs.
Road
pricing for private motor transport in cities (pound/mile). Carbon tax on all
air travel and shipping (100 per tonne). Replace excess traffic with blue and
green infrastructure corridors.
Build
local, organic Market/community Gardens on the edge of towns and villages to
reduce fresh food shopping/ commuting. So we aim for a clean, integrated,
accessible public transport system covering the whole of Britain by 2035....
for the first time.
1. 6 LAND, AGRICULTURE and FOOD
Land
ownership is currently highly unequal and many large estates are unavailable
for growing organic food, for public recreation or for re-wilding that benefits
the environment, climate and biodiversity. Estates over 10,000 acres can be
broken up and a Land Value Tax will apply to other estates. Britain is a
fertile, temperate country which can feed itself easily.
Reduction
of the 50% of food imported can be phased in by gradually restoring food
self-sufficiency, while replacing intensive or industrialised farming with
smaller mixed farms. Education, Incentives and rationing of high carbon
products will gradually shift consumption habits towards a healthier,
affordable and predominantly vegetarian/vegan diet culture, as is already
happening. A target of 80% plant-based consumption is suggested, by 2032. In addition, legislation will ensure
further improvements in animal rights and welfare.
Those
less developed countries that currently export food to Britain will be able to
use their land and water resources to meet the needs of their own populations,
as was common before their land was taken over by mperialist merchants to
generate private profit for themselves. Compensation could be paid by rich countries
to help in the transition to local farming by indigenous
people. Commercial fishing will convert to sustainable practices with trawling
abolished, again benefitting local small-scale fishing.
7 PUBLIC
HOUSING FOR ALL
There
are millions of poorly-housed and homeless people in Britain. To deal with
this, we need:
➡ Public housing protected from
sell-off or privatisation, i.e. abolition of 'Right to buy'. Target of 1
million new homes. Green Socialist New Deal
➡ Local Authorities will
identify suitable empty buildings, acquiring and refurbishing for local
housing. Implement new Vacancy tax on private properties empty over 6 months(
2x CT/LVT).
➡
Funds will be made available to local authorities for building new social,
affordable, ‘passivhaus’ homes (mainly on brownfield sites) and to refurbish
existing ones.
➡
Build 100,000 compact Eco-flats to meet urgent housing need.
➡
Renew non-profit Housing & Energy District Co-operatives.
8. NATIONAL
SOCIAL CARE SERVICE
Major
public investment is required for free or affordable provision of social care,
generating many new low carbon jobs where care workers are well-trained and
well-paid. The shift from a profit-driven to a needs-driven approach will
improve the welfare of care workers, family carers and those needing care.
9. FAIR
TAX REVOLUTION
The
necessary changes will require investment of funds, partly from taxation and
partly by other means. A Green Socialist New Deal will require:
➡ Nationalisation of some banks
and the creation of a new People’s Bank
➡
Widespread implementation of non-profit community credit schemes
➡
Capital controls to protect against harmful, speculative capital movements
➡
Introduction of a Robin Hood tax on financial transactions Closure of tax
loopholes, such as transfer of profits to low tax zones, hiding profits etc;
increased corporation tax
➡
New taxes on high incomes, wealth, land value and pollution
➡
Cancellation of the expensive Public Finance Initiative (PFI) debts held mainly
by hospitals
10.
UNIVERSAL BASIC SERVICES
Currently
public services are presented as financed by taxes levied on private economic
activity. This implies that the public sector’s claim on the country’s
resources is a burden on the private sector, whose claim is more legitimate
than that of the public sector. Successive governments have used this to starve
public services, especially the NHS, of the funding they require to meet
community needs. Yet the community ultimately owns public sector assets – the
commons that we inherit from our forbears - and should make the decisions about
the level of economic resources invested in universal public services.
Green
Socialist New Deal Universal services can include housing, employment , health
and social care, public transport, education and training, energy and water,
receiving an adequate share of investment from the Treasury.
A
Universal Basic Income (UBI) for adults over 16, (with a child income managed
by a parent), would greatly reduce absolute poverty especially among families
with young children, together with an enhanced National Minimum Wage. A
National Climate Service can co-ordinate regional and local action on climate.
Much stronger measures will be needed to limit air and water pollution,
conserve biodiversity, and prevent soil degradation. The Environment Agency
must have greater powers of enforcement.
11.
REPUBLICAN DEMOCRACY
Moving
towards a republican model of government, with increased devolution to the
regions and local authorities and proportional representation at national,
regional and local levels could revive democratic participation. Local and
regional Citizens Assemblies could formulate public policy. Transform the House
of Lords into a set of elected Scrutiny Committees or a Senate of Regions.
Conclusions
Medium term policies in the Green Socialist
New Deal would be a major shift towards a real democratic, equal and fair society based on
human and environmental needs.
We need to work for an alliance between Labour,
Socialist and Green movements to implement these changes.
Acknowledgments:
Green House Think Tank
Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)
Zero Carbon Britain
Campaign against Climate Change (CACC)
Trade Union Group: 'Climate Jobs’ (2021)
Greener Jobs Alliance
Green Party Manifesto 2021(US),
'Fight the Fire’ by Jonathan Neale
'What we need to do now' by Chris Goodall.
'Why we need a Green New Deal’ by Ann Pettifor.
Monthly Review, US Eco-Socialist Journal.
Green Left
London.
New Economics Foundation Think Tank.
With thanks to
Contributors: Danny NcNamara, Jay Ginn, Peter Murry,
Anne Gray, Les Levidew, Mike Shaughnessy and several
others.
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