Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has submitted a proposal for a Liverpool green deal, aimed at addressing climate change, to the UK government.
The proposed £230m (€252m) deal, submitted by the mayor to new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week, is projected to provide Liverpool an economic boost of up to £5bn (€5.48bn) over the next five years; in addition to creating 10,000 new jobs and supporting the employment of 35,000 local residents. The Liverpool green deal aims to support the implementation of carbon neutrality throughout the city, promote sustainable economy growth and enlist the aid of the private sector in providing jobs, housing and energy efficiency.
Mayor Anderson said: “We need to be bold, radical and ambitious if we are to meet our target of becoming a net zero carbon city by 2030. There are huge opportunities for us to improve the lives of all residents across the city, whatever their age or background, with better and more energy efficient housing, use of smart technology and making sure our young people have the right skills to take advantage of the jobs in these growth sectors. This proposed City Deal centres on positioning Liverpool as the go-to place for clean technology investment, training and job creation through an inclusive and sustainable growth strategy. This is the right moment for us to be working up a serious bid to government, as the new Prime Minister will be looking closely at how best to support the country’s economy following Brexit, which he is clear will be at the end of October.”
The key proposals of the Liverpool green deal bid include:
- A comprehensive programme of green housing, including building new low carbon homes, providing additional council housing, promoting green energy options and training new designers and engineers to meet the evolving needs of the housing sector;
- Increased education, training and skills provision, particularly in the creative and environmental fields; and
- Targeted investment in research and innovation on sustainability, infrastructure and green technologies.
Lord Deben, Chair of the UK’s independent Committee on Climate Change, said: “I welcome this innovative approach from Liverpool to tackle some of the ingrained challenges behind making an inclusive and sustainable green economy for the city. It is only these permanent changes to the way we live and work that will allow us to deliver the necessary and urgent response we need to climate change.”
