Green Party 2004 local elections briefing
Contact Spencer Fitz-Gibbon
Green Party press office 020 7561 0282, press@greenparty.org.uk
Foreword: the need for Real
Progress in local authorities
The government and the bigger
parties are dragging their feet on a wide range of issues. They are making
little progress – or worse – in terms of:
a.
Protecting our economy, environment and quality
of life from the disastrous effects of climate change. Investing in non-nuclear renewable energy, and in energy-efficiency.
b.
Cutting air pollution and the ill-health it
creates. Promoting clean, Green industrial
and technological development.
c.
Reducing traffic, congestion and pollution. Improving public transport and provision
for disabled people, pedestrians and cyclists.
In all these fields Britain is simply behind the times, lagging behind countless examples of European and world best practice.
Local authorities can make up
for some of the shortcomings of a backward central government. But
unfortunately all local authorities run by Labour, Conservative or Liberal
Democrat councillors – even the best of them – fall far short of excellence in
all these fields.
Greens want to put their local
council at the cutting edge in all these fields – aiming for sustainable
prosperity, quality of life, social justice and environmental protection. This
briefing explains some of the priority areas for existing Green councillors and
Green candidates in this year’s local authority elections.
When you vote Green, you’re
voting for Real Progress.
Green transport strategy adopted by
end 2004
A comprehensive local strategy for Real
Progress in integrated sustainable transport, including:
a.
Improvements
to public transport funded from congestion charging and/or other fiscal
measures applicable at local level.
b.
20%
traffic reduction within 10 years.
c.
Challenging
targets for restricting central car parking.
d.
Safe
Routes to School programmes for all local schools within 10 years.
e.
Campaign
for the scrapping of the £30 billion national roads programme and transfer of
£10 billion of this money over 10 years to support local sustainable transport
strategies.
A 40-point plan for Real
Progress in energy conservation and local production from renewable sources.
This would include a strategy for:
a. Maximising
use of solar panels and micro-turbines on public buildings, council housing,
business and private premises.
b. Councils
to purchase only non-nuclear renewable energy.
c. Provision
of low-energy lightbulbs free to all householders, together with other
energy-saving devices, funded from council tax at the same rate at which they
cut the public’s energy costs.
d. Target
of 30% reductions in domestic energy use within 10 years, and 30% reduction in
local CO2 emissions by 2020.
Council intervention in the
interests of public and environmental health and support for local producers
and for organic production. A comprehensive strategy for better food, with
benefits in terms of economic stability, environmental protection, health
improvement and poverty reduction will be Real Progress. To include:
a. GM-free
council status by end 2004.
b. Maximised
uptake of Free Fruit in Schools programmes.
c. Council
support for local farmers and for organic production through its own purchasing
policies.
d. Council
support for farmers’ markets, organic box schemes, and other means of improving
access to quality fresh local food.
Adoption by end 2005 of a
comprehensive strategy for local Zero Waste status by 2020. Zero Waste means Real
Progress in economic regeneration, industrial development, quality of life
and environmental protection. To include:
a. Nothing
landfilled or incinerated within the council’s area by 2020. Campaign for
central government to plan for a Zero Waste UK, including necessary national
laws and changes to industrial processes to minimise waste and to ensure
everything produced can be re-used, recycled or composted.
b. Provision
of recycling collection to all homes and businesses for all recyclables by
2020, funded from council tax with government support.
c. Eventual
introduction of free reusable nappies and free nappy laundering services.
This is not an exhaustive or
fully inclusive manifesto of Green Party policies for local authorities. It is
an expression of certain priorities for the 2004 local elections. More detailed
briefings will be available on specific subjects when those policies are
launched during the course of the campaign.
More comprehensive policies
can be found in the Manifesto for a
Sustainable Society at www.greenparty.org.uk/policy.
Illustrations and application of Green Party policies are found in a variety of
documents found in the reports and briefings section of the website.
theme very well.
Promoted and published by
Spencer Fitz-Gibbon for The Green Party, both at 1a Waterlow Road, London N19
5NJ.