Local authorities are vital to recovery, Nigel Riglar, President of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport’s (ADEPT) has said in response to the Prime Minister’s recovery plan announcement.
Mr Riglar provides the comment on the PM’s announcement on coronavirus recovery 30th June: we must build back clean and green at the local level, where he committed to a £5bn spend on infrastructure, including several road projects.
Mr Riglar said: “ADEPT welcomes the Government’s intention to invest in construction, broadband and cycleways, and particularly in renewing school buildings and we hope this will be linked to a commitment to make all state funded schools net carbon neutral by 2030. However we have seen some of this funding announced before and we wait to see more detail in how we can build back clean and green. It would have been good to see investment in retrofitting existing hosing stock to improve energy efficiency, for example.
“As we have set out with our partners in A blueprint for accelerating climate action and a green recovery at the local level, local authorities are vital to delivering the Government’ s net zero by 2050 ambition. With many councils declaring climate emergencies, working at the local level is the only way we will be able to really build for the future, by investing in clean growth. ADEPT has been working hard to set out what needs to be done in our Clean Growth Policy Position published in June.
“We have a once in a generation opportunity to embed sustainability. Economic recovery from Covid-19 must involve building back clean and green at the local level,” he added.
