Greater Manchester Mayor Labour candidate – Manchester Friends of the Earth response

Manchester Friends of the Earth

Responding to the announcement that Andy Burnham has been chosen as Labour candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor, Pete Abel from Manchester Friends of the Earth said: "We need urgent action from our regional leaders to slash greenhouse gas emissions and clean up our badly polluted air.

“Andy Burnham and candidates for Greater Manchester Mayor from all parties must commit to policies for a low carbon, healthy and environmentally-just region - such as a home retrofit scheme, clean air zones and going frack-free.

“We welcome the commitment Andy Burnham made of a presumption of opposition to fracking during the Labour candidacy contest, and call on all candidates to adopt a frack-free position and support for a thriving renewable energy industry in Greater Manchester.”

The Greater Manchester Mayor will have to implement solutions to meet many social and environmental challenges. These include rising transport and energy costs, traffic congestion, ill health and rising obesity levels, poor air quality and the need to drastically reduce CO2 emissions.

Manchester Friends of the Earth is calling on all Greater Manchester Mayor candidates to:

• Support a target for Greater Manchester to reduce its emissions by 80% by 2030, in line with the Paris climate agreement
• Put principles of clean energy, social justice and democracy at the core of the proposed Greater Manchester public energy company 
• Support funding for a Greater Manchester home retrofit scheme to achieve a minimum household CO2 reduction of 60% and create new jobs 
• Declare Greater Manchester ‘frack-free’ or introduce a presumption against fracking in Greater Manchester 
• Introduce low emission or clean air zones in Greater Manchester town centres
• Support a diesel-free Greater Manchester 
• Support dedicated funding for cycle infrastructure of at least £20 per head of population across Greater Manchester 
• Introduce a default speed limit of 20mph in all residential areas for the benefit of people walking and cycling
• Call on the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels and invest in the green economy.
• Support the Manchester City of Trees campaign to double the tree cover across Greater Manchester 

The Greater Manchester Mayor election takes place in May 2017.