Aldridge, Colin – Green

Strongly agree

Our Green New Deal for Oxford 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.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

The aim of the 2015 Paris Agreement is to limit global temperature increase to 2 degrees. Only through collaborative action and implementing zero carbon initiatives across Oxford can we achieve this shared goal and ensure a better future.

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

There’s no plan B. Local efforts collectively have a global impact

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

Greens in Oxford successfully proposed the council declare a climate and ecological emergency in 2019. Sadly, there have been too many words, and too little action, since this declaration, with incomplete pave and no measurable progress. The time for words without actions has passed.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

I support the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill. 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). This motion urged MPs to support the Bill.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

The CEE provides the legal framework needed to move to zero carbon (critical) using a wide variety of levers. Some concern over Citizens Assemblies which are a duplication of existing democratic areas. The need for widespread participation however is not in doubt; the detail of this can be worked through as it progresses through parliament,

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

Green MP Caroline Lucas co-sponsored this bill in parliament; in Oxford, Greens proposed a motion to the city council to support it. The Labour MP is yet to do so.

Aldridge, Colin – 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.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Disagree

I would like to see a higher reduction than this. Creating space for cyclists and pedestrians will attract cyclists and pedestrians (if you build it they will come, see the Netherlands). In turn, this will create less congestion for motorised traffic, meaning that those who truly NEED to drive (or take public transport) in turn will have better journeys. Everybody wins.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

This target is in line with the independent research, completed for the Oxford citizens assembly, supported by the greens. By 2030, this means that a minimum of 25% reduction in car journeys must be achieved, alongside a move towards sustainable transport, and the removal of fossil fuel vehicles from our roads.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Strongly agree

Development decisions (planning and housing) should design out car-dependency and facilitate the creation of 15 minute neighbourhoods, where residents can access all daily goods and services within a 15 minute walk. 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 ad planning changes.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Agree

Development is far more complex than housing. Communities should have access to their needs locally, but be joined up to neighbouring areas/ cities with a broader infrastructure with appropriate walking/ cycling/ public transport, rather than the car being the default. This requires significant city and county collaboration and woujld be a priority of mine if elected.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

This is an integral part of the Oxford Green manifesto, and greens in Oxford have already submitted amendments to the local planning enquiry to support this, although not all recommendations were accepted. This would need to be in collaboration with the necessary transport infrastructure to support this.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Strongly agree

This 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.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Agree

This is extremely important (collective local actions have a global impact), however, care must be taken that owners (individual and collective) of zero carbon homes pay a price premium for what should be standard. We need affordable housing in this city. Developers must therefore be compelled by local planning regulations.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

Greens in Oxford pointed out that this was not currently in local plans, despite being legally possible. The definition of zero carbon used in Oxford for buildings excludes plug-in appliances, which can make up more than a quarter of carbon emissions.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Local authorities should introduce policies and measures to enable all homes in Oxford and Oxfordshire to achieve an EPC rating of C or higher by 2035. 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.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Agree

This is an excellent aspiration, though I would like to see a feasibility study to see how achievable it is in the time frame. Oxford has a significant proportion of historic buildings, where this will be tougher. I support the aspiration, question seems a little binary and the answer is more nuanced than 50 words can deliver.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

Currently almost 6 in 10 homes in Oxford are rated below this, with low uptake of improvement measures, which energy companies are obliged to provide. Council supported expansion of schemes to improve energy efficiency, including the Cosy Homes project, is essential.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Strongly agree

Ambitions are modest and not backed up by robust policy. The Greens want cheap Council borrowing to be used to invest in e.g. solar farms delivering against climate and financial goals. When this was proposed by the Greens, the City Council instead decided to speculate £20m on commercial properties.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

The Lib Dems with Green councillors voted to invest c. £20m in local renewable energy in the most recent city budget. Renewable energy as a concept is a ‘no brainer’. But its development needs to be thought through and joined up across city and county for best use of investment, whilst still moving at pace.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

Rather than investing in commercial properties, the council should use cheap borrowing to invest in renewable energy installations, as proposed by the greens on the city council already.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Strongly agree

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 20x current amount of local renewable energy.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

If every local authority did this, it would have a significant impact. A review of local planning policies should take place to support this.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

The net-zero Target adopted by the council, under pressure from the greens, requires at least 20 times as much local renewable energy by 2030 to be a realistic target. There is currently no plan to do this.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Strongly agree

The City Council do not even have an up-to-date biodiversity action plan and rely 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.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

As a keen allotmenteer, biodiversity is a subject close to my heart. When nature flourishes, we all win, cleaner air, better living space. Oxford is fortunate to have many green spaces, we need to protect those we have and enhance existing green spaces to ensure biodiversity can flourish.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

Currently, the city council do not have an up-to-date biodiversity action plan, although greens have just succeeded in achieving tentative support for a new national park outside the city. It is crucial that we protect our natural spaces, which are under threat from increased urbanisation.

Aldridge, Colin – 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.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Strongly agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Strongly agree

the climate emergency requires a significant effort and simply planting trees will not resolve this, the trees need to be maintained and flourish. Existing older trees have a far greater carbon impact than new saplings so we MUST protect those.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

As a Green, I will continue the work of green councillors in proactively supporting community tree planting campaigns. I will also endeavour to protect existing trees in the county.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Strongly agree

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. We also support local food businesses and agroecological methods to reduce the use of fossil fuels and sequester carbon (among other reasons).

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

Agree

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

Agree

Farmers markets are often seen as the epitome of local food producers. This is fantastic but artisan produce is not accesible to everyone. We need more scale for significant carbon impact through local food networks. If elected, I would be examining city and county procurement processes to source food locally and ensure that is environmentally and ethically produced. I also support food ‘waste’ sharing schemes such as Olio and supermarket- food bank collaboration.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Strongly agree

Greens have recently won support for a new food strategy from the council, which aims to address inequality, aims to be sustainable, and addresses health, social, and environmental elements of food supply chains.

Aldridge, Colin – Green

Our Green New Deal for Oxford 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.

Hunt, Jemima – Labour

As a city councillor, I would commit to increased funding and delivery of ambitious active travel schemes. Improved infrastructure to ensure safety of cyclists and pedestrians must be supported by schemes that promote inclusivity, particularly for those from disadvantaged groups. As part of a countywide strategy to reduce private car trips, we must take immediate action to prohibit car dependent housing developments. The last decade has seen a 38% reduction in local authorities’ financial support for bus services and an 18% fare increase. Increased funding for bus services is vital if we are to achieve a green and just recovery.

Procter, Josie – Liberal Democrat

I joined the Liberal Democrats because their stance on the environment was a priority, way back before it seemed a mainstream policy for most parties. We now have a climate emergency. I will work with anyone, from any party, to champion policies that combat the climate emergency in a real and practical way. Because this transcends party politics. There’s no Planet B.

Trevett, Kelsey – Green

Our green new deal aims to address the climate emergency, in a way which produces climate and social justice. It has been developed with sustainability in mind, addressing the crises in the city, including that of housing, and air pollution. I want to work to make Oxford a fair, green city, with good active transport infrastructure, a localised economy, and the reduction of inequality in all aspects of our communities.