our achievements
Green Alliance
was founded in 1979 to “inject an environmental perspective into the political life of Britain”
persuaded the main political parties to produce their first comprehensive environmental policy statements, 1980s
hosted Margaret Thatcher’s first meeting with environment organisations, 1980s
led the joint lobby of environment groups for the first white paper on the environment, 1990s
convened the cross sectoral campaign for better pesticide and GM regulation, 1990s
led the lobby that helped to shape the new Environment Agency, 1990s
hosted Tony Blair’s first speeches on the environment as party leader and prime minister, 1990s
recent successes
Since 2006, Green Alliance has provided the platform for many of the most significant political speeches on the environment, by speakers including Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Nick Clegg, David Miliband and George Osborne.
We brought together over 40 businesses and voluntary organisations to push for action on heat. As a result the government committed to a new national heat strategy in 2009 alongside a package of new financial incentives.
Since 2006, we have convened the Green Standard coalition of the top nine UK environment groups. Our annual analysis of progress has attracted national press coverage and influenced the priorities and approach of the parties.
Our consortium of businesses from the waste, manufacturing and retail sectors made the case directly to the Treasury for higher landfill tax. The tax was subsequently increased in the 2007 budget and will reach £72 per tonne by 2013.
Our proposals for an EU budget for climate security were the focus for discussions in Paris, Berlin, Prague, Warsaw and Brussels in 2008. We were invited by Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to speak at a major European conference, and we are now an influential player in the public and private debate on the future of the EU budget.
Green Alliance has been a leading voice in the UK and Europe promoting carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. We helped to secure a dramatic shift in UK climate change policy in March 2009, with a government commitment to new regulation and new funding for up to four CCS demonstration projects.
Green Alliance and NCVO have been appointed as joint secretariat for a new government and third sector task force, launched in March 2009, to make recommendations on how to accelerate action on climate change and the environment.