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Rees: ‘We can create a more sustainable, inclusive economy’
Bristol’s mayor is hoping to bring a greener economy to the city following the slowdown arising from the coronavirus pandemic – and one that is more fair.
Marvin Rees said he wants the economy reshaped in a way that tackles the climate crisis, poverty and inequality, and would be pushing the government to take that approach.
Pundits are predicting the UK economy will contract by 30 per cent as a result of Covid-19 and that employment could reach 10 per cent or more.
Speaking during a Facebook Live question and answer session, Rees said the crisis presented an opportunity to build a new type of economy.
He said that Bristol City Council has been working with the One City office and its economy board to “map out” the challenges facing businesses and to “craft a way forward”.
The initial work would focus on economic survival, he said.
“But what we’re not doing is just saying ‘let’s take the old economic model off the shelf and stick it back into play’, like we did after the financial crisis’,” he said.
“We don’t want a carbon copy of what we had before.”
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Rees said he was working with other mayors around the world to urge governments not to abandon the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) in a “mad dash” towards economic growth.
Rees said: “Through myself and other city leaders who are very committed to the SDGs, we are driving those SDGs back into the dialogue, and not leaving the reforming of the future global economy down to national governments working alone.
“What we’re saying is city leaders need to be the new kids on the block in shaping that [economic recovery].
“So our model of economic recovery will be framed by the sustainable development goals and all the discipline that brings for sustainability, ending poverty, quality work, sustainable housing and so forth.”
Rees said that Bristol’s climate change strategy already aimed to build environmental change into the city with sustainable homes, a mass transit system, biogas buses, city-centre housing to encourage cycling and walking.
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He said he hoped the UK government would drive economic recovery by building green infrastructure, such as Bristol’s proposed mass transit system and energy efficient houses.
“The question is not do you have economic development or do you not have economic development, it’s what kind of economic development do you get,” he said.
“But we can create a more sustainable, inclusive economy if we reshape that model.
“And that’s what we are really pushing for with core cities, with other cities around the world at the moment, and that will be a major thrust of both our climate strategy and our ecological emergency strategies.”
Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main photo by Martin Booth
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