Put fairness at the heart of South West green recovery - new report

The GW4 research looked green recovery in the context of the South West. Image Credit: Sinking House © Stride Treglown / Tom Bright. A GW4-funded report that focused on what regional Green Recovery might look like argues that climate justice needs to be at the forefront of our thinking. Last updated on Friday 5 November 2021 - A new report from researchers from the GW4 universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, and Exeter suggests that local green recovery debates need to find a way to better connect people's concerns about the climate, inequality, and prosperity in local areas. Their recommendations, which are informed by discussions between academics, local policy makers, activists and NGOs, suggest that engaging diverse voices from across communities is fundamental in ensuring political rhetoric about a post-pandemic, green recovery reach beyond economic concerns to bring in issues of health, inequality and care. The researchers argue that framing 'green recovery' alongside an aspiration for a 'just transition' can provide a more effective lens through which to explore processes of change, and could help areas to understand how the impact and opportunities of green recovery varies across and between communities. Ultimately, their analysis calls for greater community-led action as an enabler for wider system changes.