2 February 2023

Record results for oil giant Shell show there are “still massive profits to be made from letting the climate burn,” warns Green Party Co-leader Carla Denyer.

Shell’s annual profits more than doubled to a record of nearly $40bn (£32.3bn) [1] as consumers struggle to pay huge energy bills after a surge in wholesale gas prices.

Denyer said:

“These record profits make the undeniable case for a carbon tax to be imposed on the fossil fuel industry before the planet is incinerated. These profits give the lie to any claim that fossil fuel giants will act responsibly when there is still money to be made from destroying our planet.

“The government’s windfall tax is useless – it has a massive loophole where companies can dodge the tax if they invest in new fossil fuel extraction. It fails to make the oil giants act responsibly toward people or the planet, or raise the money needed to invest in renewables.

“For the last year, we at the Green Party have been calling for a ‘Dirty Profits Tax’, without the Tory loopholes. This would have raised billions over the last year, and served as the first step towards a proper carbon tax. 

“Our carbon tax is one of the most powerful levers we can apply alongside to move us towards a clean green economy and fairer society. [2]

“Fossil fuel companies drive the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, but are still allowed to profit from their damaging activities. A carbon tax would target these big polluters and render coal, oil and gas financially unviable as cheaper renewable energies rise up to take their place.

“But as well as tackling the climate crisis, a carbon tax will offer a social dividend which will help people to get through this cost of living crisis and make the UK a more equal society. This is because yields from a carbon tax would provide the money to invest in free home insulation, properly-funded public services and a universal basic income.” 

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64489147

2

https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Communications/10_Point_Climate_Plan.pdf

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Prisoners in Maghaberry have mastered the delicate art of crocheting to make tiny hats for premature babies, blankets for the elderly and scarves for homeless.

31 January 2023

As the UK marks three years since leaving the EU and the IMF confirms that the UK economy will shrink and perform worse than any other advanced economy in the year ahead [1], the Green Party has called for the country to become ‘rejoin ready’ so the UK can rejoin the EU when the political conditions are right.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, said:

“With the IMF pointing to the UK as the only major economy facing a decline, it is clear that Brexit has been all pain and no gain. From labour market shortages to less resilience in the face of economic shocks; from a collapse in foreign investment to sharply reduced trade, all the economic indicators show that Brexit has failed.

“Only the Green Party has the courage to consider reversing this huge political mistake and question whether it would be better if the UK were to return to the EU. 

“As Greens we believe that the UK should rejoin the EU as soon as the political conditions are right. We need to get the country ‘rejoin ready.’ The EU will need to see us as a reliable partner before they are willing to open negotiations, while our eventual decision would clearly need to depend on the conditions we were able to negotiate.

“In the immediate term we must now renegotiate to restore freedom of movement to address labour market shortages, rejoin the customs union to ease the situation with goods crossing our borders, and end plans to shred thousands of pieces of EU legislation that help protect workers’ rights and the environment [2].

“A majority of the public are now with us on rejoining the EU. Three years on, it’s time to admit our mistake and end the economic, social and environmental damage caused by trashing our relationship with our nearest neighbours.”

Notes

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64452995 

[2] https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/bonfire-of-insanity-the-unwelcome-return-of-the-retained-eu-law-bill/ 

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31 January 2023

The latest challenge from environmental campaigners to Bristol Airport expansion has been rejected at Bristol Civil Court [1]. Responding to the news, Green Party co-leader and Councillor for Clifton Down in Bristol, Carla Denyer, said:

“This is a devastating outcome. Bristol airport’s unnecessary expansion would mean thousands of extra flights producing one million tonnes of CO2 equivalents every year. This when the science tells us clearly that we must be drastically reducing our emissions. Not to mention more traffic, noise and air pollution for local people, as well as the risks expansion will cause to endangered local species. All this in face of clear local opposition.

“To make matters worse, we know that up to 20 other regional airports have their own plans to expand and will have been watching this case very closely to see if the government will enforce its own climate policy. As the government’s own committee on climate change has pointed out, airport expansion is completely incompatible with our commitments on climate change.

“Unfortunately, both the Conservatives and Labour want to have their cake and eat it when it comes to climate change, claiming to support climate action but unwilling to accept any change from business as usual. In the real world there is no such thing as green aviation or carbon neutral jet fuel. We must listen to the scientists, not the airports or aviation industry.”

Notes

[1] Bristol Airport: Judge rejects challenge against expansion plans – Bristol Live (bristolpost.co.uk)

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A £270,000 carriageway and footway resurfacing scheme on Cherry Road, Belfast commenced on Monday 23 January 2023.