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Greenpeace’s climate emergency plan

Update on 15 May: We would like to thank all those who commented here for their time and expertise in providing comments on Greenpeace’s climate emergency plan. We are considering the responses, alongside those we’ve had directly, and will look to issue and updated manifesto later this year. 

What’s this about?

The Government have to accept that we are in a climate emergency. Their current policies are no way near an adequate response. They clearly need help to come up with a coordinated programme to decarbonise the whole economy.

To kick start the debate, Greenpeace has come up with a draft plan.

We have set out practical actions the Government must take straight away to help avert the climate crisis and take responsibility for the UK’s historic emissions. They also aim to capture what is needed to guarantee the transition is fair and creates thousands of secure, clean, decent jobs here in the UK so communities can flourish.

The scale of change needed across our society over the next two decades is vast. New solutions are needed and no one yet has all the answers. That’s why we want to hear from members of the public, politicians and policy experts about our plan. Climate change affects everything, and we need everyone to get involved.

We will keep building on this draft and make it stronger based on the feedback we’ve received. Then the Government will have even less of an excuse not to act.

Roadmap

Image for Introduction

Introduction

We are in the midst of a climate emergency. The world is nowhere near meeting the internationally agreed goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The last five years were the hottest ever recorded. There are a growing number and intensity of extreme weather events.
Image for 1. Fossil fuels

1. Fossil fuels

There are more fossil fuels already discovered than can be burned for a safe climate. Searching or drilling for more is simply not an option. The priority is supporting those communities dependent on existing fossil fuel extraction to have a sustainable economic future.
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2. Renewables

Nearly 80% of our electricity needs to be generated from renewables by 2030. Onshore wind, offshore wind and solar are by far the most cost-effective and reliable technologies. Government also needs to support development of new technologies like floating offshore wind, tidal, wave and geothermal.

Image for 3. The electricity grid

3. The electricity grid

It is important the electricity system works efficiently and reliably with a high volume of variable renewable power. This means deploying a range of existing and new technologies, like batteries and interconnectors, to upgrade the grid and balance and store power.
Image for 4. Road transport

4. Road transport

We need to rapidly phase out petrol and diesel cars, vans and lorries, and replace them with electric or other zero-emission vehicles. This should be done through a series of tax incentives, regulation and government procurement measures. It also needs direct investment to help retrain and reskill workers. Overall, there needs to be a significant reduction in private vehicle use over time.
Image for 5. Public transport, walking and cycling

5. Public transport, walking and cycling

Our towns and cities need to be radically redesigned with public health, community green spaces and healthy, sustainable transport in mind. This means reallocating road space away from cars, towards public transport, walking and cycling, and significantly increasing investment in all of these things.

Image for 6. Buildings

6. Buildings

UK buildings are generally draughty and leak a lot of energy. A lot of our heating systems are also currently powered on fossil fuels. The solution is to significantly increase insulation (which also reduces energy bills) and support green heating solutions. Both of these things need proper funding, skills and powers for delivery at the local level.
Image for 7. Industry

7. Industry

Industries like cement and steel currently emit a lot of carbon so more efficient solutions need to be developed. One example is the production of steel using hydrogen and renewable energy, instead of fossil fuels. Government needs to boost innovation and help create new markets for these solutions.

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8. Agriculture

We need to transition to a healthier, more sustainable food and farming model, and dramatically reduce meat and dairy consumption. This means using taxes and financial incentives to shift away from high pesticide, nitrogen fertiliser and industrial animal feed use. It also means subsidies for agro-ecological farming, and public procurement of plant-based meals.
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9. Nature

We need to conserve and restore natural landscapes and habitats on land and at sea to revitalise wildlife and maximise carbon storage. This means reducing extractive activities, including mining and use for fuel and feed. It also means planting at least 700 million trees over the next decade and ensuring at least 30% of the world’s – and the UK’s – oceans are properly protected by 2030.
Image for 10. Aviation and shipping

10. Aviation and shipping

There are few clear technical solutions for both of these carbon-intensive sectors. As a result, we need to significantly reduce demand to minimise their climate footprint. One way to do this is through a frequent flier tax, which would provide one tax free return flight a year per person and then progressively increase tax on each flight beyond that. We should also ban all expansion, including a new UK runway at Heathrow.
Image for 11. Taking responsibility

11. Taking responsibility

It is not a given that a rapid climate transition will lead to the creation of high volumes of decent, secure new work here in the UK. A proactive and well-funded strategy is required, led by central Government, working in collaboration with empowered local authorities, unions and other relevant stakeholders, so that the green transformation is one in which UK communities feel engaged and can flourish.