Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

The climate crisis must be tackled now and must be meaningfully considered in all decision making Green Councillors in Oxford successfully proposed that Oxford declare a climate and ecological emergency in January 2019. There have been lots of words from the council since then, but the scale of action has fallen short of the scale of the emergency.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

To build back better from Covid-19, we need a radical Green New Deal for Oxfordshire. This means putting the climate and ecological crisis at the heart of all local authority decision-making, and decarbonising the economy in a way that tackles inequality, meets people’s needs and enhances lives, creating decent, secure and well-paid jobs.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

Local authorities have a key role and powers in addressing climate change within their area

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Agree

It was Green Councillors in Oxford that successfully proposed a motion to the City Council in support of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (co-sponsored by Green MP Caroline Lucas). The CEE Bill raises ambition for parliamentarians. However, campaigning should also remain focused on the Government’s Environment Bill, a once in a generation piece of legislation that will have a huge impact on the environment in the UK in the coming decades. We must ensure the Environment Bill is ambitious, has legally binding targets and will effectively tackle the climate crisis.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

Designing and implementing any plan to tackle the climate crisis, must involve citizens. If elected, I would work to support and strengthen a Citizen’s Assembly in Oxford, but also work to put material decisions in the hands of residents through participatory budgeting. Having been an active climate campaigner for many years, I will continue to support the thriving climate justice justice movement, campaigns and community initiatives in and beyond Oxfordshire pushing for change at the national level.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

To create targets/objectives/strategy on climate and ecology improvements

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

A 50% target is broadly in line with the independent research commissioned for the Oxford Citizen’s Assembly which the Greens have supported. By 2030, this indicates a minimum 25% reduction in travel by car combined with an 8% shift towards more sustainable travel modes and diminishing use of fossil-fuelled vehicles.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Agree

We need an ambitious Green New Deal for Oxford, including a plan for strong investment in green, accessible public transport and active travel. Through investment and improvement to local bus services, cycling infrastructure and other initiatives to reduce car travel, we can reduce motorised traffic in and through Oxford by 50% by 2030.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

Air pollution is an important but silent killer, and must be reduced. Also traffic causes diseases aside from airborne pollution, such as tyre fragments ending up in water supply

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

The Greens submitted amendments to this effect to the Local Plan enquiry – although not all recommendations were accepted. 15-minute neighbourhoods form a key part of our 2021 Oxford City Council manifesto alongside policies to deliver the necessary transport and planning changes. This will Oxford a more liveable city at the same time as combatting carbon emissions.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

15 minute neighbourhoods is a clear manifesto pledge for the Oxfordshire Green Party. All local planning decisions should be aiming to build thriving communities where cycling, walking and shopping local are obvious choices for residents.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

This is a key way to reduce car dependency

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

The built environment has a huge impact upon carbon emissions and presents great opportunities for emission reductions. But this target is not in the current Local Plan – despite submissions from the Greens pointing out this was technically and legally possible. Also, the City Council typically uses a ‘non-standard’ definition of zero carbon buildings which excludes unregulated loads (‘plug in’ appliances). These can make up more than 25% of emissions.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

Greens have been pushing for this in the City Council Local Plan and I would continue to do so if elected. It is also a key manifesto point for the Oxfordshire Green Party and is absolutely necessary if we are to tackle the climate emergency.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

Homes are a major emitter contributing to global heating

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

59% of homes in Oxford are rated EPC ‘D’ or below with <5% of households having taken advantage of energy company obligation improvement measures. The current Cosy Homes project needs to be massively expanded, with Council support, Energiesprong retrofits introduced for Council-own properties, and tougher energy criteria introduced for landlords. Making homes energy efficient not only helps the planet, it also makes helps tackle fuel poverty by reducing energy costs.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

The current Cosy Homes project should be greatly expanded, with the City Council’s backing. We need retrofits introduced for Council-own properties, and tougher energy criteria introduced for landlords.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Agree

An important way to reduce energy output, but for all homes will depend on legislation (currently proposed) at a national level

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

Current council ambitions are modest and not backed up by robust policy. The Greens want cheap Council borrowing to be used to invest in solar farms delivering against climate and financial goals, as well as other renewable energy projects. When this was proposed by the Greens, the City Council instead decided to speculate £20m on commercial properties

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

Greens put forward proposals for mass investment in co-operative and community-owned renewable energy as a way to build back better from Covid. Sadly this was voted down by the Council. If elected, I would continue to push for ambitious plans for renewable energy investment.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

To reduce dependency on fossil fuels and move to clean energy, is essential to address the climate emergency

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

Fossil fuels have to go, but currently there is no plan to do this – despite the City having adopted, under pressure from the Greens, a 2040 net zero carbon target. Without massive local investment in e.g. solar, hydro and battery storage, we cannot decarbonise rapidly enough. By 2030, we need around twenty times the current amount of local renewable energy.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

We’ve seen that market solutions are not going to solve the climate crisis. Any just transition away from fossil fuels, will require heavy regulation, state investment and bringing public services back into public hands – at all levels.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

As above

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

A rich and thriving natural environment is vital for tackling the joint climate and ecological emergencies. Nature based solutions to climate change are some of the most affordable and most productive solutions to climate change, whilst access to nature has an overwhelmingly positive effect on mental and physical health. The economy also relies upon a healthy natural environment. Yet the City Council do not even have an up-to-date biodiversity action plan, instead relying on the weak protection offered by the Local Plan. Meanwhile many sites rich in biodiversity are under threat from urbanisation whilst brownfields sites remain under-developed. The Greens recently won tentative Council support for a new National Park to the north-east of the City.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

Greens on Oxford City Council recently proposed and won support for exploring the creation of a new National Park in the north east of the city and it’s these types of initiatives that we need to see through and expand.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

Essential to have more trees and plants, for carbon capture, and to improve wellbeing

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

Greens support the FoE campaign to double tree cover and have actively supported community tree planting campaigns, e.g. in Marston, and argued for more City grant funding for such groups. At the same time we are trying to ensure that more existing trees are protected with preservation orders. We must ensure we are planting the right trees in the right places too.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Agree

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

More initiatives like the ‘Tiny Forest’ in Meadow Lane, Oxford

Pegg, Lucy – Green

Strongly agree

We must make local organic produce accessible to everyone, no matter their income. Greens recently won Council support for a new Oxford Food Strategy bringing together the health, social and environmental dimensions of our food supply chains and to reduce inequalities. Greens also want to support local food businesses and agroecological methods to reduce the use of fossil fuels and sequester carbon (among other reasons).

Rawle, Rosie – Green

Strongly agree

I strongly support moves towards ensuring everyone has access to healthy, affordable food that is locally produced.

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Strongly agree

Work with supermarkets and encourage independent sustainable food production

Pegg, Lucy – Green

The Green Party manifesto sets out a Green New Deal for Oxford. It addresses the climate emergency by delivering a decarbonised, more localised circular economy, with a funded net zero target, reflecting recent societal shifts, while addressing the housing crisis and inequality. Councils need to invest in renewable energy projects, rewrite Local Plan policies for sustainable buildings, and meet social housing needs. We will reduce pollution by improved, sustainable public transport, better cycling provision, and support for the electrification of transport by expanding the high voltage vehicle charging network. Green spaces and biodiversity must be enhanced, within a broader commitment to improving public health and our environment. This will create an Oxford which is greener, fairer and more sustainable for all.

Rawle, Rosie – Green

We need a radical Green New Deal for Oxfordshire that transforms our economy to tackle both social and climate injustice across the county and beyond. This means decarbonising the economy in a way that tackles inequality, meets people’s needs and enhances lives, creates decent, well-paid jobs, transforms our housing sector, and greens our transport services. It also means listening to citizens and community campaigners – from the school strikers to Friends of the Earth – since these are the groups that have fought to get this issue on the agenda where it wasn’t before..

Tarver, Richard – Labour

Ensure there is an equal opportunities and anti-poverty dimension to green improvements. Ensuring the zero carbon agenda is included within building and renovation of homes. Allocate money from my councillor budget towards this recovery. More to say, but I have no more time!