The time of the G20 summit in London approaches, where the leaders of the 22 nations that make up the vast majority of world GDP are meeting to discuss the economic crisis as well as free trade, climate change and other current crucial issues. As per usual, a series of counter-protests have been organised by various groupings, from liberal to anarchist. One of these groups calling itself ‘Put People First’ is a joint collaboration between many high profile charities, unions and environmental organisations, and is marching through London this Saturday to put their message of putting people and planet first in this crisis across. Sounds promising, but let’s take a look at their policy platform in more detail.
The global financial and economic system is in crisis.
Existing economic policies and institutions have overseen an economic system scarred by high levels of poverty and inequality, which is contributing to an environmental catastrophe.
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There can be no return to business as usual. Fundamental change is needed.
We call on the UK government to show its commitment to putting people first by signalling an historic break with the failed policies of the past, and the start of a new system that seeks to make the economy work for people and the planet.
A good start – we agree that the current economic system is driving the environmental catastrophe and leads to unjust distributions of wealth. Business as usual must be eliminated and a new system built. But this is where we part ways – this grouping has unfortunately fallen prey to the Green Growth mantra which is now gaining currency in the mainstream environmental movement, which I’ve written about previously. Here are some of their specific demands:
Ensure a massive investment in a green new deal to build a green economy based on decent work and fair pay.
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In addition to the green new deal (recommendation 4), introduce the robust regulatory requirements and financial incentives needed to deliver a green economy.
Nowhere do they mention the problems created by growth – a green economy is simply seen as one with some more investment in renewables and other green technologies with a nod to fair pay and greater equality. Out of the long list of groups supporting this manifesto, apparently not one has considered looking even slightly deeper at the links between the economy and environmental destruction. How can a finite planet support the infinite growth demanded by civilisation? Unless environmentalists can answer this satisfactorily, their support of green growth and a green new deal based on it is misplaced.
Push for a deal at Copenhagen to agree substantial, verifiable cuts in greenhouse gases, which will limit temperature increases to well below 2°C.
How do they think we can keep temperature increases below 2°C if they’re implicitly supporting continued economic growth that will inevitably produce more greenhouse gases? The claims that efficiency and technology will keep emissions down, and even reach zero-carbon levels, are hopelessly naïve – unless these receive massive investment (which looks unlikely in the status-quo) and ultimately break the laws of physics to keep up with the exponentially increasing rate of growth. As a result, if you want to keep temperature rises below 2°C, supporting the growth system is not tenable. Have these groups considered this? Unlikely.
Deliver 0.7% of national income as aid by 2013, deliver aid more effectively and push for the cancellation of all illegitimate and unpayable developing country debts.
Although the cancellation of debts is a must, this statement implicitly supports the status-quo of aid dependency, rather than changing the entire system in which developing countries have their natural resources extracted for the benefit of western nations. Aid for natural disasters is justified, but keeping nations dependent on aid allows this plunder to continue. The globalised economy has shackled these countries into poverty, and so must be destroyed to free them.
‘Put People First’, despite their promising message that the current economic system is flawed, are in fact promoting the same system repackaged with a big green stamp on the box. The message their putting out does not match their rhetoric on putting people and planet first in this crisis – they are in fact peddling the rhetoric of the growing movement to create a ‘Green Growth economy’, they’re helping to greenwash civilisation. This blog has and will continue to make clear how Green Growth is a nonsensical farce, and how the mainstream environmental movement in pursuing it will not help either people or planet.
We would very much advise against marching for this manifesto, and instead take some positive actual action this Saturday – start a vegetable garden, join local groups, form a co-op, subvertise the media, or anything else regularly suggested here. If you still have the protest bug, the climate campers are taking on the carbon trading scam and the growth system at the European Climate Exchange on Wednesday, whilst others are marching on the Bank of England. The symbolic nature and utility of these protests can be debated, but they’re closer to the mark than the misnamed ‘Put People First’ marchers. We propose that ultimately the only way to put people first is to stop the growth system and dismantle civilisation, and the best place to start is in your own life and backyard.
