1. What does ‘just transition’ mean to you, and how will you plan for a rapid energy transition that works for all?

Firstly, the actions that we take to address our climate crisis have to also address the crises we face in our living standards and peoples faith in our democracy. This means restructuring our economy so that it is transformed into one that is sustainable and delivers social justice.

The previous of experiences of workers and local communities of structural change in our economy has been of deindustrialisation and dislocation, helping to fuel an alienation and lack of trust in our politics. Against this backdrop it is understandable that too many people feel that ‘just transition’ is simply a glib phrase. As Labour Leader, as I have done in my role as Shadow Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, this will not be our approach as a Labour party; a transition that is just for workers, households, local communities and globally in meeting our international obligations.

A transition that is truly just means putting workers, their trade unions and the local communities affected as the leaders of change in our economy, not just in energy but every sector – for example, energy intensive industries such as ceramics, cement, steel, glass, our automotive and other manufacturing sectors.

This is indivisible from my commitment to stand by the expansion and strengthening of collective trade union and individual employment rights that Labour put forward in the 2019 election. It is also why as Shadow BEIS I ran ‘townhall’ meetings across the country on Labour’s Green Industrial Revolution, bringing together local Labour members, trade unions, school strikers and others to gather ideas and organise around local campaigns. This approach was central to developing our ambitious Green Industrial Revolution and is why it, and the 2019 manifesto, committed at every stage to this just transition, and using our industrial strategy, investment, public procurement and public ownership to create good, unionised jobs.

It is such actions that will mean not only are workers and local communities protected, but they are enriched and the beneficiaries of transitioning our economy to one that is sustainable.

I am proud that I commissioned and published the ‘Thirty by 2030’ ground breaking report that set out exactly how we can rapidly transition our energy system. This includes reducing energy waste in buildings by retrofitting 27 million homes, decarbonising heat, boosting renewables and low carbon electricity generation with 7,000 off shore wind farms and 2,000 on shore wind farms and 22,000 football pitches of solar. This would all benefit our economy by £800 billion by 2030 and create 850,000 new jobs that we would ensure are good, unionised jobs that all our local communities benefit from. We have a comprehensive plan about what actions need to be taken what we must now use to put pressure on the Conservatives.

When we are setting out how we will restructure our economy it means being clear we are putting forward a very different approach to the Conservatives. Their answer has been to load costs onto household energy bills and subsidising the private sector with no stipulation on the creation of good unionised jobs in this country. This is not a transition I believe is just in any way. Ahead of the COP26 later this year we also have to be clear that the global transition must be just; in protecting the poorer countries who are already experiencing the worst impacts of climate breakdown and in the race for the resources, minerals and metals that are of growing importance to new technologies and industries and are located in the global south. It is crucial we make sure that the expansion of supply chains for renewables takes place in a just way, and consider the need for new international institutions and mechanisms to this end. This is why I proposed investing in metal reprocessing plants to reprocess cobalt and rare earth minerals as part of Labour's electric car revolution. This is alongside making sure international law is respected.

2. How will you build on Labour’s commitment to a green industrial revolution creating a million new green jobs in new green industries?

The ‘Battle for BiFab’ illustrates that having a headline booming renewable energy sector is not enough by itself to create skilled, well-paid jobs here in Britain. Despite Scotland’s growing offshore wind industry, Fife based BiFab has moved from crisis to crisis. The Green Industrial Revolution is the umbrella for our policies that can restructure our economy so that it is transformed into one that is sustainable and delivers social justice. As Labour leader I will not retreat from our ambitious policies such as our industrial strategy, using public investment, public procurement and public ownership and strengthening trade union rights to actively support and grow good, unionised jobs in the industries and supply chains we need to have a green economy. It is why as Shadow BEIS I developed policies such as taking a majority public stake in renewable energy projects such as wind farms and electric battery plants for electric vehicles. Investing in our energy, transport, communications and housing infrastructure would benefit local communities and people’s lives in many ways, and put us in an even stronger position to grow the exports of what we manufacture here around the world.

These commitments and our vision in committing to invest 3% of GDP in research and development by 2030 and become an innovation nation can catalyse a boost to our economy whose wealth is fairly shared and enjoyed.

I believe it is not just about headline increases in job numbers – it is also about where those jobs are, their quality and who is able to access them. As Labour leader I want to explain our Green Industrial Revolution as part of our aspirational socialism; ensuring investment and the creation of good, unionised jobs happens in every local community and region, that we use our policies to diversify the STEM workforce, for example, by increasing the proportion of women and BAME people employed in those industries. This is about creating opportunities for people they are able to take up, and enriching our local communities.

3. How will you extend democratic public ownership and universal basic services across the economy to address economic injustice and rapidly decarbonise?

The free market and privatisation has failed to deliver the capital investment needed over the past few decades for good quality services and with households, travellers and consumers charged more. This record shows we need a different approach to meet the challenges we now face. Public ownership, public investment and our public services being in public hands are not optional extras in ensuring our economy is sustainable and delivers social justice; they are the only way we can achieve it. It applies to publicly investing to upgrade our infrastructure such as retrofitting our poor quality housing to end fuel poverty and reducing energy usage. It applies to publicly owning so we can invest and improve our public transport – buses and trains, so that it is integrated, accessible and affordable to increase its usage. It applies to why we should publicly own our water so we can invest to upgrade the system and reduce the amount lost through leaks and for more affordable household bills. It is how we can make sure the benefits of transitioning our economy are captured by society and shared fairly and equitably – we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, for example, privatising North Sea Oil. It is why I support the modern, democratic public ownership of our mail, rail, water, energy and broadband, the insourcing of local council services (such as leisure, green spaces, waste collection and recycling) and developing municipal services, such as public transport.

I know we face a huge challenge in these crucial years ahead – this Conservative government is wedded to the free market and privatisation model that has failed society as a whole, and cannot meet the climate crisis. This is despite public ownership being highly popular across all voters. As Labour leader I will work with campaigns such as Labour for a Green New Deal, trade unions, campaigners and activists to put pressure on the government for the solutions we all know are urgently needed.

4. What proposals do you support to ensure climate justice for people across the world, including those displaced by climate impacts and countries and peoples most affected by climate breakdown?

As our country is hosting COP26 this year the eyes of the world will be on us. As Labour leader I will work with climate justice campaigners, trade unions and activists to show we don’t agree with the approach of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. We need to support those calling for ambitious international commitments and action to come out of COP26.

As well as it being right that we pile the pressure on this government to take the necessary action for Britain to achieve the significant majority of its emissions reductions by 2030 we should also support measures that promote climate justice internationally. These include, increasing the amount of international public climate finance we provide for mitigation and adaption to the UN’s Green Climate Fund, leading international efforts to establish a new fund to compensate countries in the global south for loss and damage suffered due to climate impacts and ensuring the technologies we develop in Britain through our Green Industrial Revolution are made available at reduced cost to global south countries. In the race for the resources, minerals and metals that are of growing importance to new technologies and industries and are located in the global south we must ensure international law remains central and respected. As Labour leader I believe we must have peace, justice and human rights and international law at the centre of our foreign policy as well as a humanitarian response to asylum seekers and refugees. In the future we will increasingly see people having to escape the impact of our climate breakdown around the world. As a society we must lead the discussion in finding global solutions to these growing challenges – challenges that cannot be met by a Trump agenda of building walls.

5. How will you work with grassroots campaigners, trade unions and local activists to develop Labour’s Green New Deal?

As Shadow BEIS I ran ‘townhall’ meetings across the country on Labour’s Green Industrial Revolution, bringing together local Labour members, trade unions, school strikers and others to gather ideas and organise around local campaigns. As Labour leader I will continue this work to develop our policies, and crucially lead the campaign we need to build to fight the Conservatives destructive agenda, including in opposing any moves to restrict the civil liberties of peaceful climate protesters and activists. We have a huge challenge ahead of us but I believe working together we can build support behind our ambitious agenda as part of forging a progressive path to power.