Paul Blomfield MP endorses Sheffield Friends of the Earth’s call for more green jobs. He agrees that ‘Green is working’ - recent figures from the Green Alliance show that there are almost one million jobs already in the low carbon-sector.
We are calling on the Government to block the Chancellor’s expensive dash-for-gas, which would see us hooked on costly and dirty imported gas and undermine investment in renewables. Instead the Government should use the Energy Bill to develop more home-grown clean power from our wind, sea and sun, which boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.
Sheffield Friends of the Earth spokesperson Maureen Edwards said:
“Green is working – while the UK struggles in a double-dip recession the low-carbon sector is growing, paving the way to new jobs.
“Many more jobs and business opportunities could be created here in Sheffield if Ministers give the green light to renewable energy.
“We want Nick Clegg to make sure that the Government resists George Osborne’s attempts to keep Britain hooked on costly foreign gas.
The majority of the public want their homes to be powered by clean British energy from our sun, wind and sea.”
Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, said:
“I’m backing the Green is Working campaign and want to see the Government put much greater emphasis on creating green jobs. By doing this we can rebalance our economy away from the City of London and tackle climate change at the same time.
“Investing in clean renewable energy the UK would create thousands more green manufacturing jobs. The Government could also create green jobs by doing more to improve energy efficiency in homes, buildings and transport systems.”
A Populus poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth in September revealed that 72% of people in Yorkshire and Humberside think that the Energy Bill should give a high priority to renewable energy.
The Bill is being debated in Parliament from this November and will determine how the UK is powered for the next 20 years.
Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to include a target to green UK electricity by 2030 – as recommended by the independent Committee on Climate Change.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
1. The Green Alliance report ‘Green economy: a UK success story’ is available to download from:
http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea_p.aspx?id=6629
2. Populus interviewed over 2000 adults in Great Britain between 19 and 21 September 2012. The poll for Friends of the Earth showed that 72% of people in the UK think the Energy Bill should give high priority to renewable energy (72% in Yorkshire and Humberside).
3. Government figures released in September showed that over three quarters of the public (77%) back renewable energy for providing our electricity, fuel and heat. For more information see http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/stats/6410-decc-public-att-track-surv-wave2-summary.pdf .
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