Jean Lambert MEP will outline a new direction for the economy which addresses the ecological crisis as well as ensuring that the recovery plan is fair for all at a public meeting in Haringey next Thursday 19 March.
Jean, the Green Party MEP for London, will speak about the Green New Deal, the programme of measures proposed by leading environmentalists and economists for a sustainable, environmentally sound recovery from the downturn.
An expert on employment issues and longstanding campaigner for workers’ rights, Jean has already been pushing for investment in green industries and green jobs, and urging the UK Government to ensure that efforts to combat the recession are not made at the cost of the climate package.
Jean Lambert MEP said:
"There are no easy ways out of this recession. However, we must recognise that we have not just an opportunity, but also a responsibility to put the environment and social justice at the heart of our efforts to rebuild the shattered economy. Investment in green training and industry, and the development of the green collar workforce, would help deliver a sustainable low-carbon future for us all."
In September, Jean published Green Work: Employment and skills – the climate change challenge, a report which called for greater investment in green industries and skills to help create a low-carbon economy in the UK [1].
Since the publication of this report, the UK has officially fallen into recession, and the number of people out of work has risen to a 12-year high of 1.971 million.
Jean Lambert MEP said:
"We are already squandering potential and resources in Britain that would, if correctly harnessed, secure the environment, provide employment, and save us money.
"Wind energy is a prime example: the UK is the windiest country in the EU, with around 40 per cent of the EU’s total wind capacity, but at the moment we produce little more than a tenth of that potential. Government-sponsored research shows we have at most 26,000 jobs in renewable energy, compared to 250,000 in Germany. With some forecasts suggesting unemployment will hit almost 3 million within the year we have to take action as a matter of urgency [2]. The sustainable solution is staring us in the face."
The meeting, Green Work, will take place at the Kurdish Cultural Centre in Haringey. Sean Thompson, writer and Green Party activist, Keith Flett, chair of Haringey Trades Council, and Chris Freeman from the Crouch End Project, which supports small shopkeepers, will also speak. Anne Gray, of Haringey Green Party, will chair the meeting, and outline Green Party proposals for unemployment and benefits.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Green Work will be held at the Kurdish Cultural Centre in Portland Gardens, N8, on Thursday March 19 and will start at 7pm. More information from Anne Gray on 07791 904375.
[1] Jean Lambert’s report, Green Work: Employment and skills – the climate change challenge, can be read and downloaded in full at http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/document_detail.php?id=89
[2] On February 16, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned unemployment could near 2.9 million by the end of this year.