A Green Party spokesperson commenting on the Lib Dem £3 billion investment plan said today:
"The numbers of jobs involved in the Lib Dem plan are far less than Britain needs, the resulting CO2 reductions are inadequate, and £3 billion is frankly a derisory amount when we're talking about the future job prospects of so many people and the seriousness of climate change."
"This is the latest pathetic attempt by the Lib Dems to portray themselves as green. There is only one Green Party, and it's the party that last week launched a fully-costed job-creation plan showing how Britain could pay for a £44 billion investment package to create a million new jobs in the UK."
The Green Party proposes free insulation for every home that needs it, which could create 80,000 new jobs and will result in homes that are warm and cheaper to run, as well as much lower energy costs for businesses. The Green workforce training and environmental community programme includes grant-funded training for jobs in energy conservation and renewable energy, and conversion courses for skilled engineers from other industries. This would see £5bn spent on creating 350,000 training places, offering opportunities to 700,000 unemployed people, in particular the young unemployed.
All these jobs will not only provide employment solutions, but will also provide the country with the vital 21st century infrastructure it needs, including an efficient public transport system, homes that are warm and cheaper to run, and much lower energy costs for businesses.
Robin Oakley, head of Greenpeace's climate and energy campaign, acknowledged that a government investment plan “would provide a clever boost to the jobs market, to the UK's economy, to our energy security and they'd help tackle climate change (3).
Mr Oakley described the Lib Dem plan as “twice as good as Labour's plans, and three times as good as the Tories” but said there is “still lots of room for the other parties to top these proposals because a larger investment would provide even greater support for the economy and make Britain a world leader in cutting-edge energy technologies." The Green Party says it has delivered exactly what Greenpeace wants.
Friends of the Earth’s executive director Andy Atkins also acknowledged that there were "huge job opportunities" to come from investing in a low-carbon future. He said, "The UK is well placed to reap the vast economic benefits of going green - we have one of the biggest renewable energy potentials in the whole of Europe.”