“When Rishi Sunak says row back on our climate mission, I say ‘speed ahead’”. Those were the words of party leader, Keir Starmer MP, at the Labour conference, which I attended with colleagues this year.
His reference to Sunak’s decision to delay progress towards net zero targets, confirms that the UK’s two biggest parties see the environment as a political dividing line. Its welcome to see Labour backing a greener future.
Global Witness went to the conference to make the case for a raft of green policies. Policies which we also pitch to the sitting government day in day out. From greening the City of London with deforestation regulation (a proposal which enjoys significant cross party support), to challenging the run-away profits made by oil execs - we’re on the side of people and nature.
The green approach is clearly the right approach, whether you look at it from the perspective of human rights, climate stability or even financial stability. Our economy is deeply interlinked and dependent on nature and climate. Shocks to both are not only costing lives now but also represent a real risk to global economies.
But Global Witness polling suggests it’s also the politically popular track to take.
Work for GW by the polling company You Gov in Sept 2023 showed that the public want action on climate, and strongly favour renewables over oil and gas. When asked which energy source would best serve the UK’s energy security, 56% chose more renewables, with just 8% picking more oil, gas and coal. And 60% of UK adults would back a ban on banks financing deforestation.
We’ve been using the opportunity of the Labour conference to make both the ethical and electoral arguments. And it seems the message is getting through.
Our panel event on a Nature Positive economy was packed out. In partnership with Global Canopy and the Green Finance Institute we talked about how its already possible to stop investments in deforestation. Our points were backed by politicians like Alex Sobel MP who sat on the panel but also business -like Aviva- who don’t want to have to compete against financiers playing fast and loose with climate destruction.
They and companies with £2.7tr of assets under advice signed up to our calls to government to stop the money pipeline from London to tropical forest destruction.
As Labour officials put pen to paper on their next manifesto, let’s hope Starmer’s ‘full speed ahead’ words are ringing in their ears.
It’s time to end our dependence on climate wrecking fossil fuels, with all the associated fat-cat pay packets and despotic regimes. It’s time to take simple steps to stop the city of London bank rolling forest wrecking business. And it’s time to wake up to the consequences our actions have on the people on the front line of the climate crisis. This isn’t a zero sum game. We all win from a stable climate.