The IPPR is coordinating “climate citizens’ juries" across four of the most deprived parts of the UK, gathering ideas on how to ensure they benefit from the green transition
As the coal mines shuttered and the UK's manufacturing base declined through the seventies and eighties, some parts of the UK, neglected by central government, sank into a quagmire of poverty and worklessness. One of the worst-affected areas was the valleys of South Wales, which is now one of the poorest areas not just in the UK, but in the whole of the EU.
With a new industrial revolution gathering steam - this time, a green one - there is an opportunity for these past injustices to be undone and for areas such as the South Wales Valleys to rebuild their local economies. That is the aim of a series of "climate and fairness panels" that are being conducted by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) with the representatives of local communities from some of the most deprived parts of the UK.
Today, the IPPR published a blueprint for how to harness this opportunity across South Wales, based on deliberations with locals from the area who participated in a "climate citizens' jury".
The experiment, which was organised by the IPPR's Environmental Justice Commission, brought together 19 representative locals with experts on the net zero transition in a series of eight sessions. By combining these discussions with their own life experience, the local "jurors" drew up a series of recommendations on how the green transition can be made to most fully benefit their area, which are gathered together in a new report published today.
More and better jobs, a public transport development blitz, car-free city centres, and guaranteed access to digital infrastructure for all were among the key priorities locals identified for the future development of their areas. In particular, they called for an economic strategy focused on creating local jobs in future-proofed green industries, with an emphasis on health and care, environmental protection, food, energy and homes.
The strategy should also focus on creating 'anchor towns' with local work hubs for remote working and revitalised high streets to encourage people to shop local and sustainably, the sessions concluded, all back by with investment that communities have some control over.
"The tide of industry may have left Wales… but the capacity and the ability of the people here hasn't changed. That's an unfound superpower that just needs unlocking," the report quotes one juror as saying.
Another key area emphasised in the report is public transport, with many jurors lamenting a reliance on polluting and expensive cars due to poor or expensive public transport infrastructure. As a result, the jurors proposed a big rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, expanded train and bus connections, and support for more cycling and walking routes. There was also widespread support for car-free town centres to improve air quality, the report says, and measures to prevent any unessential road building.
Linked to both jobs and transport is internet access, which the respondents argued should be treated as a basic human right, as work and learning increasingly relies on digital communication. Jurors argued the government has an obligation to ensure all children have access to a digital device for learning and all areas can access fast internet.
Former First Minister of Wales and citizens' jury advisory board member Carwyn Jones praised the "bold and positive vision for the South Wales Valleys" that was developed through the sessions and then laid out in the report.
"The South Wales Valleys has all the potential to be a thriving hub of green industry, commerce and natural beauty, but policymakers need to take action now to ensure the area has the investment and infrastructure it needs to make this transition a successful and fair one," Jones said.
The cross-party IPPR Environmental Justice Commission was created in 2019 with the aim of working with people across the UK to develop policies and ideas that will help ensure a fair transition to a net-zero economy. Co-chaired by Hilary Benn MP, Caroline Lucas MP, and former Conservative MP Laura Sandys, it is overseeing four "citizens' juries" around the UK. The South Wales Climate and Fairness Panel is the second to conclude, following a similar process in the Tees Valley and County Durham that published its findings earlier this year. Further citizen juries are currently underway in Aberdeenshire and Thurrock.