Green new deal proposed by Lord Turner

Unemployed builders could be mobilised to make the nation's homes more energy efficient as part of a "new green deal" being devised by the Government's top adviser on climate change.

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent Last Updated: 2:54PM GMT 23 Jan 2009

Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, the chairman of the Climate Change Committee, will report in September on ways the Government can relieve the recession at the same time as tackling climate change.
Ideas include retraining people in the construction industry, who are unemployed because of a lack of building work, to fit new boilers, double glazing and lagging as part of a nationwide effort to improve energy efficiency in homes.
The concept of a "new green deal" was originally put forward by President Barack Obama. Inspired by President Roosevelt's New Deal to kick start the US economy in the Great Depression, the new president plans to create new jobs and commerce by pumping millions of dollars into switching to a low carbon economy.
Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, has also spoken about his own plans to boost the ailing economy by investing in public works like hospital projects and rail links.
But this is the first time that Lord Turner, who is in a powerful position to force change, has revealed his role in the project.
As head of the Climate Change Committee, he will be reporting each year on how the Government is progressing on its plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
But because of the recession this year, Lord Turner will also come up with a series of recommendations on how to boost the economy while reaching the environmental targets. Short term measures could include a Government programme to retrain unemployed builders to retrofit houses with insulation, training thousands of new coach drivers and public transport operators as part of improving public transport, investing in a superfast broadband that will enable more people to work cheaply at home and encouraging more wind and solar power to cut energy costs and boost the industry. In the long term the Government could also look at shifting the manufacturing industry towards more environmentally friendly products like electric cars in order to provide jobs and big public works like tidal power stations.
"A lot of people are talking about a new green deal," said Lord Turner. "What we are trying to do is take that general concept and say what does that mean? What is it that we can really do that makes sense on the economy but also helps us make progress on climate change targets? For example home insulation could be a way of making sure people in the construction industry who are otherwise unemployed can find employment."