More constituencies have voted to debate a 'Green New Deal' at next week's Labour party conference than they have for any other issue, including Brexit.
A total of 128 constituency Labour parties (CLPs) have voted to send a Green New Deal motion to the Brighton conference – more than double the 61 anti-Brexit motions.
The climate action proposal includes a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030, guaranteed green jobs, universal services and expansion of public ownership.
It is backed by Momentum and the Communication Workers Union, and comes after polling found that nine in 10 Labour members support a Green New Deal and 2030 zero carbon target.
“The upcoming general election will not only be a Brexit election, but a climate election,“ said Adrienne Buller, co-director of the grassroots campaign Labour for a Green New Deal.
“Climate breakdown is the defining issue of the twenty-first century, so it's no surprise that Labour members have put the Green New Deal top of the agenda for this year's party conference.“
The conference runs from Saturday 21 September to Wednesday 25 September, starting one day after a planned international climate strike, which looks set to be the largest ever of its kind.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democratic party will today vote on a climate change motion at its conference in Bournemouth, which proposes slashing emissions by 75% by 2030.
The motion also calls for 80% renewable power and the end of new diesel and petrol car sales by 2030, and pledges to help all UK buildings become near carbon-neutral.
It requires finance and investment sectors to decarbonise too, will create Citizens' Climate Assemblies, and also commits to 60 million trees being planted each year.
“The government is not even on track to meet the UK's old targets, let alone new goals, making its commitments meaningless,“ said Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for climate change.
“Setting a target is essential, but not enough. We need urgent action to set the economy on a path towards net-zero emissions.“
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