Every day is Earth Day, but not every party is the Earth party, Greens warn

22 April 2021

The Green Party has urged people to use this year’s local elections to make sure Earth Day happens every day, by voting for Green councillors who can make a real difference up and down the country on 6 May.

As world leaders gather for a climate summit on Earth Day today [1], the Greens have warned that if people want to see Green policies in their regions, then they need to vote Green.

Co-leader Jonathan Bartley said:

“The simple fact is, if you want Green, then you need to vote Green. Everybody is trying to boast about their Green credentials at the moment, but there is only one party that takes protecting the environment seriously.

“The main two parties are completely failing to grasp the need for positive transformation coming out of the pandemic. It is Green councillors and activists on the ground, working with local communities up and down the country, who are picking up the slack and doing what they can to ensure a green recovery for all.”

Bartley said while the other parties talk up their Green credentials, their actions at local authority level are often far from Green.

He said:

“We always hear greenwashing from Labour and the Conservatives, but in reality one has got a £27bn road building programme while Labour offer timid half measures and continue with outdated road building even in London.

“It is only the Greens who recognise the need for a complete transformation of a transport system so everybody has access to affordable and clean public transport.

“Meanwhile, as the Greens put forward real plans for a Green industrial revolution, Labour-led councils open new coal mines and the Conservative government closes down the very body that was responsible for industrial strategy meaning it has no plan to take the CO2 out of heavy industries like steel and cement.

“It’s clear that the best thing anybody could do for the Earth is vote for a party that puts nature and the climate at the centre of everything it does in this year’s local elections."

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56837927

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