Sustainable Growth – The National Trust guidelines

My lawyers, Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Runne, are on full alert after the National Trust shamelessly pilfered my accountant metaphor and called on the government to go for green, not grey, growth, concentrating on green jobs, sustainable food production, clean energy and the protection of nature, heritage and outdoor space.

They set out 7 red lines which must not be crossed during the impending dash for growth:

1. Proactive green growth should be prioritised, including the creation of at least the 440.000 new green jobs promised in the Net Zero Strategy.
2. No watering down of environmental and heritage legal protections.
3. New investment zones must not be ‘grey zones’ with no nature or historic character and no input into their development by their population.
4. The new farm payments regime must continue to reward farmers for public goods, such as clean rivers, healthy soils and cultural heritage.
5. The government must collaborate with conservation charities and farming groups to take sensible, informed decisions.
6. The government must keep to its manifesto commitment to protect 30% of UK land for nature by 2030.
7. The government must stay true to its Net Zero obligations and strategy, in which respect fracking is not the answer.

It is good that the green agenda is being forcefully put forward in this way, emphasising that growth and sustainability can be parallel objectives, not alternatives. Presumably this places the National Trust outside Liz Truss’ category of “enemies of growth”.