Green New Deal - a big idea?

Modelled on the New Deal developed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to combat the great depression, the Green New Deal is a response for our time.  The Green New Deal Group is a cross-sectoral initiative led by CBI, ICTU, NICVA, UFU and Friends of the Earth.

The proposal is a simple one: investing in an ambitious programme to cut consumption of fossil fuels can create thousands of new jobs; help secure our energy supply; and build a competitive low-carbon economy.

Around 10% of Northern Ireland's income is spent on importing fossil fuels on which we are 99% dependent for our energy. Facing a future of rising energy prices we risk serious economic and social failure unless we act swiftly to reduce that dependence.

The proposals are still at a development stage but The Green New Deal vision is to:

Refurbish tens of thousands of existing homes each year with full insulation and renewable energy, including the 137,000 homes that fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard and thus making significant inroads into fuel poverty.
Transform the energy performance of public and commercial buildings through energy efficiency measures and making 'every building a power station'.
'Decarbonise', regionalise and localise the supplies of both electricity and heat through large-scale renewables, micro-generation and using fossil fuels more efficiently.
Employ a 'carbon army' of high- and lower-skilled workers to implement this vast systematic reconstruction programme creating around 24,000 new jobs.
Transform our transport system to be fit for purpose in the coming era of high oil and carbon prices by providing a real public transport choice for everyone.
Create thousands of 'green collar' jobs in the £3,000 billion world market for Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services.
Develop a wide-ranging package of financial innovations and incentives to assemble and leverage the very large sums needed to implement such a programme, based on collaboration and partnership between the public sector, the private sector, other stakeholders and the public.
Members of the Green New Deal Group

Bryson Charitable Group
Chamber of Commerce
CBI
Energy Savings Trust
Friends of the Earth
Institute of Directors
ICTU
NICVA
NI Environment Link
NI Federation of Housing Associations
NI Manufacturing
Sustainable Development Commission
Translink
Ulster Farmers Union

With advice and help provided by the following

Dr John Barry, Institute for a Sustainable World, Queen's University
David Bell, Invest NI
Declan Billington, John Thompson & Sons
Alan Bissett, Partner, Carson McDowell (acting in a personal capacity)
Jenny Boyd, NIE Energy
Mark Browne, Construction Employers Federation
Peter Doran, School of Law, Queen's University
Mark Ennis, Airtricity
David Gavaghan, Strategic Investment Board Ltd
Professor Neil J Hewitt, University of Ulster, Centre for Sustainable Technologies
John McLean, Fold Housing Association
Eoin Magennis, InterTrade Ireland
Cody Mayoh, Environmental Industries Entrepreneur
Heather Moorhead, NILGA
Iain Osborne, Chief Executive of the NI Utility Regulator (acting in a personal capacity)
Noel Rice, NI Housing Executive
Richard Rodgers, eaga International
Geoff Smyth, The Carbon Trust
Neil Stewart, Glen Dimplex Heating
Robin Wilson, Policy Analyst