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Labour’s decision to abandon its pledge to spend £28bn a year on green investment if it wins the upcoming general election has been attacked by a group made up of some of the UK’s largest architecture firms.
Architects Declare, which launched in 2019 and is backed by 17 Stirling Prize winners, said canceling the pledge “would be a missed opportunity to demonstrate real climate leadership at the most important moment in history”.
The group’s steering group, which currently includes architects from AHMM, Maccreanor Lavington, Allies & Morrison, DSDHA and Marks Barfield co-founder Julia Barfield, said in a statement that members were “deeply moved” by Labor leader Keir Starmer’s backsliding. Disappointed.”
Yesterday’s statement said: “The tragedy is that there are so many solutions that can address our planetary emergency while also bringing about greater social justice.”
“The Committee on Climate Change estimates that low-carbon industries could create up to 725,000 jobs, demonstrating that increased investment makes long-term scientific and economic sense.
“We hope there are still some brave voices in Parliament and we encourage them to speak out against the short-sighted thinking that is driving the destruction of the living world. As British Architects have declared, we remain committed to shaping a positive future.”
Starmer last week defended the decision to cancel the £28bn pledge first announced in 2021, saying the figure was no longer affordable. He insisted Labor remained committed to “delivering clean electricity by 2030” and that the specific green plans announced by the party would continue.
Last year, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves effectively gutted the plans by announcing that the £28bn-a-year funding pledge would only be available from 2027, rather than from the first year of a future Labor government.
A scaled-back version of Labour’s green industry spending would cost around £5bn a year. Grants and loans for energy efficiency upgrades in private homes are one of the main areas where funding has been cut.
RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said if the next government failed to take the right steps to tackle climate change, future generations would “pay the price”.
“As the climate emergency intensifies, 19 million UK homes remain in desperate need of upgrades. Whoever makes up the next government and the private sector, ambitious and sustained investment is vital to meet the scale of this challenge,” he said .
“We must future-proof our homes through a well-funded National Transformation Strategy – a long-term plan that will also create jobs, boost green skills and level up the country.”
Oki said architects “stand ready” to contribute to creating a more sustainable and resilient built environment and “making the future a better place”.
Architects Declare will launch the policy declaration on 12 March at Portcullis House in Parliament.
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