G20: Time for talking is over - world must act on Green New Deal

Governments are increasingly accepting the benefits of a major investment plan to help bring the world out of recession and tackle the looming threat of dangerous climate change. But the Green Party today pointed to equivocation in British government circles.

Energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband recently said on BBC News that it was important for the G20 to make commitments on helping the environment as well as the economy. Mr Milliband said:

"There are some people who will say you can either tackle the economic crisis or the climate crisis. But the truth is that both come together with this idea of a Green New Deal, of investing in the jobs of the future, which are going to be in the green industries of the future."

But it has been shown that only a tiny fraction of the government's own stimulus package is connected with tackling climate change (1) - and today Robert Watson, chief scientific adviser for Defra, voiced his concern about the limited commitment to a low-carbon economy:

"I think [low-carbon recovery] deserves a higher profile. Everybody seems to be focusing on short-term recovery and getting long-term regulation of the banks right. I haven't heard anything that suggests the green recovery and climate change are a major part of the [G20] agenda." (2)

**G20 must act boldly**

Rupert Read, prospective Green Party MEP for Eastern England, who will be going to the G20 on Thursday to take the Green message to the summit, said today:

"The time for talking is over - the world must act on the Green New Deal, right now.

"Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas MEP helped formulate the Green New Deal, a concept being widely supported by Governments, yet not acted upon. It is simply unacceptable if world leaders are going to emerge from G20 with more pointless group photos and warm words, but no real action.

"A failure to implement a Green New Deal soon, in this country, across Europe, and across the planet, will both increase the likelihood of the recession worsening and fail to tackle the looming threat of dangerous climate change. Time is running out.

"The G20 must act boldly - we need a repeat of what Roosevelt did in the 1930s, but on a worldwide scale, and with a deep-green-hue. The beauty of a 'Green New Deal' is how it makes such great economic sense: green jobs in renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture and public transport systems - an investment for the future in making our economy greener, cleaner and more efficient.

"Globalisation has failed catastrophically and utterly. I will be going to London on April 2nd, when the G20 meets in session, to add to demands for co-ordinated action now for global justice, for a Green New Deal, for a massive re-regulation of the financial markets.

"With the exception of Barack Obama, the G20 leaders are the very people who got us into this catastrophic economic and environmental mess that we are in, by handing power over to big business and big monied interests. It is time for the people to take that power back!"

He added:

"The marches in London last weekend were peaceful and raised the profile of the need for action on jobs and the green economy. The Green Party supports peaceful action in this way - the messages that need to be addressed to world leaders are too important to be clouded by non-peaceful actions."