Sheffield's Green New Deal

1st February2009

The Green Party has called for Sheffield to adopt a "Green New Deal" to
create jobs, boost the local economy and dramatically cut carbon emissions.

The Greens are supporting a conference organised by Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change on February 28th to promote the Green New Deal. The Green Party is also putting a motion to Full Council calling on it to build on the decision last year to join the Sustainable Communities Act and on the success of the Sheffield Eco Business Programme.

The Green New Deal, which has been drawn up by the UK's leading green
economists, calls for government action to create thousands of new jobs
in the green sector through a scheme to insulate every home in the
country and produce clean renewable energy in every local community.

Sheffield Green Party co- chair David Hayes said, "SCACC are the first group in this country to follow President Obama's lead in
holding this conference on a Green New Deal. Sheffield needs a long term
strategy that uses its manufacturing base to build systems and components for the growing renewable energy sector. We need training in "green sector" skills to install and maintain systems as well as creating jobs immediately in insulating homes"

Text of Cllr Creasy's motion to Council on Feb 4th 2009

This council

1. Is pleased that Sheffield led the way by being the first city to opt
into the Sustainable Communities Act;

2. Welcomes the innovative Sheffield Eco Business Programme, which is
designed to help businesses of any size and from any sector save money,
improve their environmental performance and gain recognition for doing so;

3. Congratulates officers on the successful launch of the programme
which involved working with other European cities and close cooperation
with the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce;

4. Further welcomes the forthcoming Sheffield Green New Deal Conference:
From Global Challenges to Local Solutions to be held on Saturday 28
February;

5. Notes that this initiative by the Sheffield Campaign Against Climate
Change aims to feed into decision-making processes locally and
nationally, using the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act
where appropriate, and to inform and stimulate local initiatives such as
sustainable job creation, skills training, investment, renewable energy
and energy efficiency schemes and local food networks;

6. Welcomes the presence of Colin Hines of the New Economics Foundation
and Dr.Fazlun Khalid, Director Islamic Foundation for Ecology and
Ecological Sciences;

7. Will encourage and enable officers and elected members to attend,
participate and report back on the policy outcomes.

The Green New Deal

The Green New Deal calls for government action to:

* Re-regulate the financial system
* Minimise corporate tax evasion
* Levy a 'windfall tax' on the energy companies
* Create thousands of new jobs in the green sector through a scheme to
insulate every home in the country and produce clean renewable energy in
every local community.

For more details, see

http://www.sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk/

and

http://www.neweconomics.org/