“Labour has committed to the target of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by at least 2050, with McDonnell saying that the party is seeking to bring the target forward. The government has committed to reaching a net-zero target by 2050.
It comes ahead of a
rally in London on Wednesday 26 June when more than
15,000 people are expected in Westminster to lobby for urgent action on the climate. The event, called the Time is Now, is set to be the largest ever environmental lobby of parliament – and will include schoolchildren, grandparents, nuns, farmers, doctors and surfers.
McDonnell will use Monday’s speech to suggest he will implement measures pushing the public and private sectors into investing in technology needed to deal with the climate crisis. “Every one of Labour’s shadow ministerial teams has been charged with producing a programme of action defining their department’s contribution to tackling climate change,” he will say. “With the real prospect of an autumn election, we want to be fully prepared to roll out this climate change emergency programme as soon as we take over the controls of government.
“State and private sector resources will be required to invest in the infrastructure of the green industrial revolution envisaged by Labour. This includes the large-scale development of alternative energy sources and a carbon neutral transport system.
“Regulation as well as incentives will also be required to divert investment away from fossil fuels and into environmentally sustainable activities.”
It is the first in a series of speeches by the shadow chancellor, who has been attempting to set out more of Labour’s economic policy in case a snap election is called later this year. The party is desperate to ensure that its fudged position on Brexit does not doom its chances of securing office.
“I am launching an independent inquiry into the role and activities of shadow banking in our economy to examine what state intervention may be required to increase the transparency and accountability of this sector to ensure it plays its full role in addressing the climate change emergency that we face.”www.theguardian.com/...
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Statement from The Guardian UK:
As the crisis escalates in our natural world, we refuse to turn away from the climate catastrophe and species extinction. For The Guardian, reporting on the environment is a priority. We give reporting on climate, nature and pollution the prominence it deserves, stories which often go unreported by others in the media. At this pivotal time for our species and our planet, we are determined to inform readers about threats, consequences and solutions based on scientific facts, not political prejudice or business interests.theguardian.com