Our jobs plan for a green and pleasant land

A national environment-friendly infrastructure plan is urgently required to restore the UK to social and economic health, says a group of MPs, academics and green campaignersTen years ago this week the Lehman Brothers collapse heralded the worst global economic crisis since the 30s, the political, economic and social effects of which are still being felt today. To help ensure that these adverse trends are reversed it is crucial to return a sense of hope for the future, including through economic security for all, while fully protecting the environment.A key part of this should be the urgent consideration and adoption by political parties and local campaigners of a "jobs in every constituency" green infrastructure programme. This would involve making the UK's 30m buildings super-energy-efficient, accelerating the shift to renewable electricity supplies and storage, and tackling the housing crisis by building affordable, properly insulated new homes. A transport policy would need to rebuild local public transport links, properly maintain the UK's road and rail system, and encourage a shift to electric vehicles. This approach is labour-intensive, takes place in every locality and consists of work that is difficult to automate - and so could provide a secure career structure for decades. Continue reading...