Greatest investment is in the future of the planet

It’s pre-budget announcement day, and there is already a lot of talk about the details and how Labour’s plans to reinvigorate the economy are going to shake out. As I tumbled out of bed Radio 4 was discussing the impact this announcement will have on the next election - it could make or break the Labour party.

But while most are focusing on the short term measures to get us through the toughest months, we also need to look at investment that will ensure a better quality of life in the long run and a healthy planet. We’ve published ads in the Guardian, Times and Independent today focused on the longer term investment needed to refocus the economy, provide jobs and protect the most valuable asset we have – the planet.

I’m reluctant to call it a manifesto (seems synonymous with so many broken political promises), but it does lay out many of the practical steps we can take that will invest in the economy while tackling climate change and providing green jobs. 

As Larry Elliot, economics editor for the Guardian wrote this morning: “The real point of the pre-budget report should be to make Britain more sustainable, through a period of low interest rates and controls on consumer credit that will encourage heavy investment in energy efficiency and renewables rather than another mindless spending spree.”

Download the ad to see what we think should be in today's pre-budget announcement.