Greens plan to create thousands of jobs through retrofit revolution
Carlisle Green Party has called for a massive programme to create secure, well-paid jobs by insulating thousands of homes in Cumbria.
In the run up to the local elections in May, the party has said there has never been a more important moment to elect Greens who will work hard to help their community deal with the cost of living crisis while tackling the climate emergency and reducing inequality.
For a long time now, the Green Party have been calling for a retrofit revolution to transform the UK’s housing and make all homes warmer and more energy efficient through insulation and renewable energy installation. Hundreds of thousands of low carbon jobs would be created nationally, and recent reports show that at least 9,000 could be created within Cumbria itself.
Rather than pitting the need for jobs against sustainable solutions to reduce carbon emissions, employment opportunities in renewables and retrofitting should be sought. This contrasts sharply with the Conservative’s push to open an unsustainable coal mine in West Cumbria.
Tom Adams, Green Party candidate for Brampton said:
“Rural areas in particular could see huge benefits from a retrofit revolution. Greens are calling for £25 billion to be invested every year through local councils to retrofit homes. This would address problems of energy security and poverty in Brampton’s outlying areas, reduce carbon emissions, and create jobs all at the same time.”
“Brampton already has a community interest company and non-profit groups working towards creating employment opportunities in the retrofit sector and promoting repair shops. These kinds of initiatives need to be encouraged more and supercharged with funding secured from central government. Under Green Party proposals, local authorities would be given powers to direct newly created training and skills programmes, like apprenticeships, and would be able to decide how related funding is spent. Only funding on this scale will achieve the council’s target of net carbon zero by 2037.”
“Greens are often charged with how this can be paid for. The answer is taxing pollution and wealth. That includes increasing the tax already charged on North Sea oil and gas to 40%, raising 5 billion pounds and bringing us closer to a full blown carbon tax, making polluters pay for their activities.”
Carlisle Green Party Chair Gavin Hawkton added:
“A retrofit revolution will bring down the cost of living, improve our access to local rather than imported energy, and reduce carbon emissions, all while creating new high-quality jobs.
“Carlisle should be benefitting from the retrofit revolution and the green jobs it can bring. If elected, Green councillors will work to deliver that.”
ENDS
For interviews and information please contact Gavin Hawkton: contact@carlisle.greenparty.org.uk
Further information here:https://greenworld.org.uk/article/retrofitting-homes-forgotten-key-achieving-net-zero