Create devolved ‘just transition’ funds
Government should devolve a proportion of its Green New Deal budget to support local just transition plans.
Addressing the ecological emergency can also help address the inequality crisis. Making the Green New Deal fair and driving its benefits into the places that most need them must be an explicit, legislative aim of a Green New Deal. In particular, places should be empowered to find their own routes to transition.
As part of the process of managing industrial change fairly, national government should devolve a proportion of its Green New Deal budget to new combined authorities to support their just transition plans. Of the 2% of GDP for a Green New Deal that the government should commit in its first budget, one-quarter (which would be around £10 billion in 2019/20 terms) should be devolved to regional authorities in the first year, rising to half in year three.
As well as supporting regional capital investment via just transition plans, these funds would include resources for the reskilling of workers and paid time off to retrain, for education and to take part in the just transition process. This idea is based on the German ‘short-time work compensation schemes’ where employers are supported with public funds to avoid unnecessary redundancies by temporarily reducing working hours to meet reduced output requirements, with wages maintained.
Central government must also disaggregate the national carbon budget to regions, which in the first instance would afford more emissions space to places that are currently dependent on higher carbon emissions. All regions would be obliged to reduce emissions in accordance with the national trajectory, but would have autonomy over how they achieved this, within the wider aims of the Green New Deal.
Policy in practice
Projects that demonstrate the benefits or may be helped by polices like this.
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The Clipper
Local residents bought an empty pub and turned it into the city’s first community-owned market. -
The Exchange
This community arts centre has plans for workspaces, exhibition space and housing in neglected local buildings. -
Hackney Energy
Hackney Energy works with residents to build community-owned solar power. -
Impact Hub
Impact Hub is a community centre and co-working space which aims to build a more equal and just city. -
Rock House
A community-rooted development company transformed a run-down office block into a creative, collaborative, mixed-use hub. -
Welcome to Our Woods
Community organisation runs forests for the benefit of all. -
Save Latin Village
Small business owners are fighting plans to develop their north London home. -
Isle of Eigg
Community-owned Eigg has been labelled Britain's most eco-friendly island. -
Homebaked
Residents saved their iconic neighbourhood bakery and transformed it into a thriving community run-business. -
Grays Riverside
Thurrock network is strengthening community ties and building local wealth.