Candidates: please respond to the campaign

Dear Candidate

I am writing on behalf of Stop Climate Chaos Cymru, a coalition of organisations in Wales dedicated to tackling climate change, including Oxfam Cymru, Unison, National Union of Students, Women’s Institutes Wales and WWF Cymru (members listed below).

Our website will let voters know your opinion on climate change and on our proposals for practical measures to tackle climate change in Wales.

We have three key priorities for action by the Assembly Government, which have been analysed by Cardiff Business School. They are affordable, achievable, and will have long term health, social as well as environmental benefits for the people of Wales.

Our 3 proposals are:

A cultural shift from our dependence on the car to ‘Smarter Travel Choices’
For just £10 a head the ‘Smarter Travel Choices’ programme would cut emissions and benefit business, which loses £20m a year due to road congestion, as well as improve health. Cardiff Business School estimates the switch to non-motorised and public transport modes could benefit the Welsh economy by £11m and 300 jobs whilst saving 170,000 tonnes of carbon every year.

A nationwide programme of home energy refurbishment
This will require an investment of £700m a year over 10 years but the long term benefits of such a bold programme are significant and include the creation of 20,000 jobs, an injection of £3bn to Welsh GVA over 10 years and the saving of millions of tonnes of carbon. As importantly, the refurbishment could help reduce fuel poverty by protecting much of Wales’ population, including the poorest, from the impacts of the predicted rise in gas and electricity bills over upcoming decades.

A programme of investment in ‘sustainability’ skills
As part of the Assembly Government strategy, training centres should be created around the country targeting areas of high unemployment and offering opportunities for the people of Wales to be at the forefront of the latest developments in green technology.

Read or download a summary of the proposals (English|Welsh) or the full report.

Please respond to the campaign by emailing [email protected] with the following information:

1. Let us know your view of these proposals, rating your support for each out of 5 (5 being fully supportive, 0 not supportive).

a) How supportive of the proposal to invest in smarter travel choices are you?

b) How supportive of the proposal to invest in home energy refurbishment are you?

c) How supportive of the proposal to invest in green skills are you?

2. Please provide us with a personal response to the campaign:

We will be sharing our web-site with our organisations’ memberships and publicising it across Wales so I hope you will take this opportunity to show people in your area your support for action on climate change.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Rosser
Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Cymru

Stop Climate Chaos Cymru members: Oxfam Cymru, Unison, National Union of Students, Friends of the Earth Cymru, RSPB Cymru, Sustrans Cymru, WWF Cymru, CAFOD, Christian Aid Wales, Coed Cadw – The Woodland Trust, Tearfund, National Federation of Women’s Institutes Wales, the Wildlife Trusts Wales and the Centre for Alternative Technology.

Share