Globalisation:Green Alliance: Views on climate change

Climate change is one of the core issues that the Green Alliance is concerned with. In accordance with governmental policy, the organisation carries out research and has made proposals in order to create a sustainable future for the UK, both economically and environmentally. The projects undertaken by the Green Alliance are aimed to provide a basis upon which governmental action can be taken on environmental issues.

Recent Projects – The Case for Renewable Energy

Electricity Networks

The Green Alliance is working towards a sustainable future for the UK. In 2010, the organisation published two reports in order to push the government towards acting upon creating a sustainable future through reformation of environmental policy. One proposal was the reformation of the electricity network and the introduction of electric vehicles as the alternative solution to fuel-powered transportation. The Green Alliance has outlined six key principles to future proof the electricity network (http://www.greenalliance.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Publications/reports/Future%20proof%20electricity%20network%20for%2021st%20century.pdf):

1. Work towards the future 2. Maintain and increase investments 3. Reform charges for users 4. Make demand more flexible 5. Prepare for electric vehicles, microgen and heat pumps 6. Make distribution networks more Intelligent.

The UK and other European countries have recently reviewed policies on the introduction of electric vehicles for personal, commercial, and public transportation purposes. The Green Alliance has proposed that a mass shift towards electronic powered motoring is in sight, claiming that low carbon emissions would be a major benefit to the environment and economy in the UK.

Existing Homes Alliance

In 2008, the Green Alliance formed a coalition with the Energy Saving Trust, UK Green Building Council, the Housing Corporation, and Sustainable Development Commission called the Existing Homes Alliance (http://www.existinghomesalliance.org/), who claimed they would like to see visible government action being taken on tackling climate change by means of cutting energy costs for home owners. The UK’s existing housing stock is responsible for 25% of the country’s total carbon emissions, which the organisation would like to be reduced by means of overhauling the energy output across the urban areas of the UK. Whilst the Climate Change Bill calls for a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, the Green Alliance and other green campaign groups are pushing for action to be taken now, in order to reach an 80% cut in emissions (Emily Beament, New Environmental Coaltion Targets Existing Homes, Press Association Mediapoint).

The Role of Local Communities

As reported in the Local Government Chronicle (20/08/07), the Green Alliance would like to see an increase in the quality of local council action taken on the environment. Fuel poverty is an example of one core issue that the Green Alliance is pushing for local councils to address and act upon, as well as the national government. However, in 2008, Stephen Hale (director) argued that ‘civil society is the last and best hope for avoiding disastrous climate change’ as ‘politicians and businesses are not up to the job’ of tackling the issue quickly and effectively. Evidently, the direction that the Green Alliance is taking in terms of influencing climate change lies in their support of a community approach. Speaking in the same interview, Mr. Hale projects that there are insufficient resources in order to implement visible change, claiming that politicians themselves cannot implement change without the interest of the public. This is where the Green Alliance’s ‘theme’ of the Third Sector has played a role in prompting community discussion, debate, and action in order for the public to have their say in how to tackle climate change. As reported in an ENDS report (December 2008), ‘he [Stephen Hale] sees this third sector leadership as having four dimensions. The first is national leadership by nation-wide organisations; second comes action at more local levels, from neighbourhoods through to entire regions, sometimes with local councils being strongly involved, particularly those suffering coastal erosion or water shortages. The third dimension concerns low-carbon lifestyles, with people clubbing together to track and reduce their household emissions through changes in shopping, travel and energy consumption. Fourth is building links with similar voluntary networks across international borders’.

More about the Third Sector can be read here: Globalisation: Green Alliance: ideology and aims.

The Impact of the Governmental Budget 2010

The commencement of the 2010 governmental spending cuts has made campaigning for a greener future a more difficult task to achieve for the Green Alliance and other environmental groups. With cuts in funding for DEFRA, the organisation has a challenging future ahead in pushing for policy reform. Writing in The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/oct/19/spending-review-chancellor-green-promises?intcmp=239), Stephen Hale voiced his concern over the impact of the spending cuts that were announced on the 20th October 2010 as a threat to the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department of Business, both of which are essential to the survival and promise of the coalition government’s green policies. For example, the Green Alliance have supported the idea of a Green Investment Bank (http://www.greenalliance.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Themes/Sustainable_Economy/ErnstYoung_GIB_Report_Key_Findings.pdf) as an ideal alternative to subsidising climate change opportunities through ‘green investments’. The outcome of this idea in the spending review has been negative for the Green Alliance, whereby existing government money will be used as the alternative solution to investing in environmental capital. However, a renewable heat incentive (RHI) will come into play under the coalition proposals, whereby £400 million will be made available to deliver cost- and energy-efficient savings for homeowners. Coinciding with the 2010 proposal for renewable energy, it seems likely that the government has addressed this issue, but not the exact proposals put forward by the Green Alliance. The organisation has voiced that the UK must take a tough stance within a European political context to enhance the country’s urgent need for renewable energy (Stephen Hale, We’ve Reached The Moment of Truth on Climate Change, The Independent), reinforcing the need for climate change within a more global context. Mr. Hale has stated that in order to work towards a green future, Britain must generate 45% of its electricity as renewable energy, as opposed to the current 5%. Previously this target stood at 15%, which was not reached. The current economy will however allow room for development in certain areas, and it seems that renewable energy is on the agenda, however with delayed progress.

The Last Parliament

In March 2010, the Green Alliance, in collaboration with external green lobbyist groups, produced a report called The Last Parliament – Priorities for Urgent Action on Climate Change (http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea_p.aspx?id=4752&terms=The+Last+Parliament). The aim of this report was to influence the government to push for climate change policies that would have a long-lasting impact for UK communities. Speaking in a promotional video of the Green Alliance vision, Trevor McDonald states the case for the Parliament to take action immediately on the case of climate change. Expressed in the report is the need for the UK to work in collaboration with the EU towards a ‘comprehensive agreement on climate change’ which fits in with the organisation’s support for climate change in a broader context. The organisation has further pushed for politicians to take an interest in setting out a green agenda for low-carbon infrastructure renewal that will foresee a greener future based on detailed planning and cost efficiency (http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea1.aspx?id=4753). Support for climate change is further acknowledged in the Green Alliance’s report, calling for politicians to build the interest of communities in acting on climate change activity. The need for visibility is also emphasised, encompassing the Green Alliance’s holistic approach towards the nation delivering climate change.

Notes

Future proof: an electricity network for the 21st century (2010): (http://www.greenalliance.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Publications/reports/Future%20proof%20electricity%20network%20for%2021st%20century.pdf). Accessed 02.11.10

The Guardian: Spending review: green policies checklist: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/oct/19/spending-review-chancellor-green-promises?intcmp=239. Accessed 26.10.10

Green Alliance in association with Ernst & Young ‘Green Investment Bank’ report (2010): http://www.greenalliance.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Themes/Sustainable_Economy/ErnstYoung_GIB_Report_Key_Findings.pdf. Accessed 26.10.10

The Last Parliament: priorities for urgent action on climate change: Report (2010): (http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea_p.aspx?id=4752&terms=The+Last+Parliament). Accessed 29.10.10