“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.”
– Cllr Andrew Cooper (Green Party, West Yorkshire)
The Green Party has pledged to fight for a Green Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic by providing good quality, sustainable jobs for communities across England and Wales.
In the run up to the local elections in May, the party has said there has never been a more important moment to elect Greens who will work hard to help their community recover from the pandemic while tackling the climate emergency and reducing inequality.
The Green Party has called for a Green New Deal to transform the UK’s housing to make all homes warmer and more energy efficient, revolutionise our transport and rapidly roll out renewable energy across the country. Hundreds of thousands of low carbon jobs would be created to carry out this work.
Councillor Andrew Cooper, Green Party energy spokesperson and candidate for West Yorkshire Mayor, has now said the local election candidates across the party are just waiting to be elected in order to do everything in their power to bring about such a change for their communities.
Cooper said: “Since our record results at the last local elections we have seen Green Party councillors up and down the country making real change in their communities. Whether it be motions to create thousands of jobs in retrofitting homes in Norwich [1], or my Green Building Fund proposal which will ensure all new builds are built to the highest specification with ultra-low energy demand [2], Greens know exactly what it takes to make sure we recover from this pandemic in a way that will offer a better future for all.
“We know that underpinning any economic recovery must be the aim to create a greener job sector which has sustainability at the heart of every process. However, the government is categorically failing to invest sufficiently in the Green sector. 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.”
[1] https://twitter.com/jajo_osborn/status/1372138573894418434
[2] https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/the-case-for-a-green-building-fund-for-west-yorkshire