Comment

Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

Representation ID: 57983

Received: 12/12/2021

Respondent: Cambridge Doughnut Economics Action Group

Representation Summary:

To achieve net zero and still grow the economy we would need to decouple emission quantities completely from growth, not just reduce or mitigate them. Several economic projections including one by the UN Environment Programme indicate that such “ absolute decoupling” cannot occur and “green growth” is simply not possible in practice. https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/09/12/why-growth-cant-be-green/

In order to “help”, the plan must demonstrate how it will reduce the emissions in Cambridge by more than 4% per capita per year. Otherwise the plan will simply “make it marginally less hard than it might otherwise be for Greater Cambridge to reach net zero”

Full text:

The objective is clearly stated: “Help Greater Cambridge transition to net zero carbon by 2050” . Net zero means reducing total net emissions to zero, not reducing the rate of growth of emissions to zero. To achieve net zero and still grow the economy we would need to decouple emission quantities completely from growth, not just reduce or mitigate them. Several economic projections including one by the UN Environment Programme indicate that such “ absolute decoupling” cannot occur and “green growth” is simply not possible in practice. https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/09/12/why-growth-cant-be-green/

This plan calls for an average growth of the machinery of the economy of around 1.2% per year. The UK economy is currently growing at around 3% per year per capita long-term average, so the plan will grow the local economy by over 4% per year.

If we are to believe the plan will “help”, then it needs to demonstrate how it will reduce the emissions in Cambridge by more than 4% per capita per year. Otherwise (as it seems) the plan will simply “make it marginally less hard than it might otherwise be for Greater Cambridge to reach net zero”