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Metro mayor election – what do your candidates think about the environment?

news release

On Thursday 4th May, Greater Manchester will elect our first ever Metro Mayor.  In the run up to the election, Manchester Friends of the Earth has encouraged Greater Manchester residents to ask the Mayoral candidates to pledge support for 12 key policies to help create a greener, cleaner, healthier and sustainable Greater Manchester. [1]

Vote for a Sustainable Greater Manchester 4th May

Manchester Friends of the Earth invited all the candidates to respond and the candidates have pledged support for a range of actions to improve public transport, tackle air pollution, prevent fracking in Greater Manchester and protect the Green Belt.  The candidates full responses are available on our website. [2]

Ali Abbas, Manchester Friends of the Earth co-ordinator said, “The environment is something that affects us all. The new Mayor needs to provide clear leadership on urgent actions to make rapid cuts in carbon emissions, protect our precious green spaces, reduce flooding, support renewable energy, retrofit our homes to be warmer and clean up our toxic air.”

Air pollution in the UK harms our health and causes tens of thousands of premature deaths every year in the UK  [3]  and it is estimated that air pollution causes nearly 2000 people to die prematurely in Greater Manchester each year. [4]

Friends of the Earth called on all Metro Mayor candidates to make a number of policy commitments on air pollution as they will have a key role in helping to ensure air pollution limits are met in the shortest possible time, and to reduce people’s exposure as quickly as possible, to help protect the health of people in their area. [5]

ENDS

CONTACTS FOR COMMENTS

Pete Abel, Manchester Friends of the Earth. Mobile: 07951 642858

Ali Abbas, Manchester Friends of the Earth. Mobile: 07786 090520

Notes to Editors:

[1]  The 12 key environmental “asks”:

* Announce a ban on diesel vehicles in Greater Manchester by 2025.
* Introduce a workplace parking levy for large and medium-sized businesses in Greater Manchester.
* Establish a GM active travel fund of at least £20 per person per year to provide consistent, long term investment in walking and cycling across Greater Manchester.
* Call for a cap on passenger numbers at Manchester Airport at current levels.
* Protect and enhance our green belt as a thriving home for nature and a place for people across Greater Manchester to enjoy.
* Fund an ambitious GM retrofit programme, supported by a new GM retrofit standard and a skills programme.
* Set a GM standard to ensure new developments are zero carbon and climate resilient.
* Introduce a landlord licensing scheme to drive up standards in the private rented sector.
* Set science-based carbon budgets in line with the Paris Agreement goal to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees C.
* Commit to identify sites and provide support for community-owned energy projects in every borough.
* Commit to no fracking in Greater Manchester, ever.
* Call on the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuel companies.

See https://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/gmmayor/

Over 1000 emails were sent to the candidates from people across all of the Greater Manchester council areas.

[2] https://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/greater-manchester-mayoral-elections-your-candidates-views-on-environmental-issues/

[3]  Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution. Report from the RCP and the RCPCH examines the impact of exposure to air pollution across the course of a lifetime.

[4]  Adjusted for population this could mean that more than 2,000 people in Greater Manchester are dying prematurely each year.

[5] UK Metro Mayors – Air Pollution asks for candidates in the May 2017 elections

[6]  Manchester Friends of the Earth is an award-winning environmental campaign group, raising awareness and lobbying for policy changes at a local, regional, national and international level. The group consists entirely of volunteers, and its campaigns are funded by membership fees and individual donations. Up-to-date information is available on the group’s website: www.manchesterfoe.org.uk. Manchester Friends of the Earth is a Licensed Local Group of Friends of the Earth, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. www.foe.co.uk

 

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