Green Policy Group

The group focuses on exploring ways businesses can operate in a sustainable way, that is compatible with Labour’s Green Agenda, protects jobs and enhances social wellbeing whilst preserving profitability.

Our 4 areas of focus:

• Creating and fostering a new kind of growth, away from the traditional measures of success based on financial growth at all costs which can come at the expense of ethical and environmental principles. These short-term measures need to give way to long-term measures of success that will be built upon ethical considerations, with at its core, environmental preservation.
• A recognition that environmental issues are global, and solutions will be global. Britain needs to proudly demonstrate a clear path to a greener economy. To do this, we need to look for good examples beyond our borders and focus on areas where Britain can influence the global community. Shifting the responsibility for the carbon tax from producing country to consuming countries (embedded carbon) was one example.
• Being bold in policy decisions and pressing on Parliamentarians the responsibility they have to push for a green agenda. Parliament needs to be the driver for major, and often difficult shifts across a wide range of industries and regulations. When the fire is raging, we cannot, in Clive Lewis' words "incrementally decrease the amount of petrol we pour on the fire". We need strong actions very quickly, for instance on aviation, the automotive industry and building regulations.
• Exploring the ways that changes lead to new opportunities: R&D has a large role to play and will define the resilience of our future industries. We need new skills, new companies and new business models. It gives the opportunity for smaller players and regions to claim a larger share of the future economy.

Contact the Chair: greenpolicy@labourbusiness.org

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