Industry

Why is the spectre of social (in)security haunting Europe despite it being richer than ever before?

Inspiration from beyond Europe, from Rajagopal, renowned Indian activist who is planning a protest walk from Delhi to Geneva.

“The Baden-Württemberg flying green carpet has landed in the middle of society.” These were the words uttered by Winfried Kretschmann in his speech following the victory of the Greens in the German land, a remarkable feat given the odds against them and the current trends playing in favour of the far-right. However, elsewhere in the country, the picture is somewhat different…

Did the agreements that came out of the December 2015 COP 21 in Paris really hold any meaningful weight? A few weeks later, now that the dust has settled, it is time to critically assess what came out of the climate agreement and what it will mean for countries, civil society and the planet.

The welfare state is no longer affordable, we are told from all sides – neither in the Netherlands, nor in Europe as a whole. Cuts must be made in the social services, the argument runs, to rescue the economy. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Here is a green vision.

Government procurement has long been used to help further public policy goals and European countries such as Italy and France are willing to still use it today to support renewable industries. However, at the European level something quite different is afoot that threatens the ability of procurement to be used to develop industry.

A debate between Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, and Reinhard Bütikofer, MEP and co-chair of the European Green Party.

The Green Industrial Revolution is clearly a positive and inspiring story, but there is room for doubting the ability of green technologies to stimulate a new wave of growth comparable to the industrial revolutions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Today’s mainstream economic debate around investment vs. austerity is failing, but a truly comprehensive Green New Deal could offer the alternative. The right support from the EU and national governments could encourage different structures of business ownership, focused on sustainability and social ownership that will help the transition to a truly sustainable economy.

Greening industry is crucial to our ability to combat climate change and maintain a prosperous society. But to achieve this, we need a whole new relationship with the environment.