Ten years ago, a group of well regarded British academics and environmentalists came together to develop an idea which they called the “Green New Deal.” This was constructed as a response to the need for decarbonisation to be done in a way which didn’t further disadvantage already struggling communities. Despite the advent of the financial crash just after its launch and Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling for a Green New Deal, its proposals weren’t taken up in any significant way by environmental groups, trades unions or other activists. Indeed as Colin Hines, the convenor of the original Green New Deal proposal has explained: “once the immediate threat of economic collapse receded then the centre right was able to replace short lived Keynesianism with talk of balancing the books and consequent need to introduce austerity.” But with the emergence of the Sunrise Movement in the US and the Justice Democrats taking up the mantle of the Green New Deal inspired by the work of the original Green New Deal thinkers, the time has now come for the UK environmental movement to organise again to try to bring this necessary progressive response to climate change into the mainstream. 

There is much for the environmental movement to worry about. In the ten years since the original Green New Deal proposal, there has been no real progress on tackling climate change. In 2019, we are facing a period of huge uncertainty; on the horizon could be a no-deal Brexit, a financial crash or yet another general election. Yet this is also a period of our history where the opportunities for seismic shifts in public opinion are multiplying. A radical Green New Deal in the UK could be a positive and unifying answer to these crises as by its very nature, this proposal requires a whole-society approach. However, the reality is that a Green New Deal only stands a chance if it’s able to galvanise a broad-based movement that can create the political space for those in power to adopt it, and to build the resilience needed to prepare for the impacts of climate change that are now unavoidable, readying ourselves in unity to make the transition to a decarbonised economy.

It’s important to establish immediately that the Green New Deal cannot just be a campaign; it has to be a social movement. Though these terms are often used interchangeably, there is a significant difference. According to sociologist George Lakey, a campaign is “a subsidiary unit of a social movement, with a goal that furthers the goals of the movement, but which is ancillary." Social movements are characterised by shared values, organised action, a direction for change – both short and long-term goals – and a degree of continuity. 

A movement for a Green New Deal intersects with a number of existing movements, and that poses an interesting and exciting opportunity. A Green New Deal, some would say, finds its natural home in the climate change movement – after all, at its core is a solution to an oncoming ecological collapse. However, its aims are not purely environmental. Rather, it interrogates the underpinnings of our society, calling for a far-reaching programme for economic and social justice and requiring bold measures to build a fairer, more prosperous society. It’s an exercise that will have an impact on every part of our social and political culture. For that reason, it needs to be a shared vision which builds on and amplifies the work of many other social justice movements.

In considering the conditions that would allow a movement for a Green New Deal to flourish, we acknowledge the nuances, complexities and unpredictable nature of “movements.” The phrase itself conjures up a living, breathing and fluctuating organism. Something which is creative, organic and prone to change. Here we explore questions rather than give complete answers, in the hope of adding to the growing chorus of diverse voices this movement needs in order to become a powerful force for rapid change. 

There are four common features of successful social movements that a Green New Deal would need to adopt to drive itself into mainstream political discourse and, eventually, policy change. In a world where this is happening, the Green New Deal movement would be multiplying and succeeding in the following areas:

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[.num-list][.num-list-num]1[.num-list-num][.num-list-text]Galvanising popular support[.num-list-text][.num-list]

[.num-list][.num-list-num]2[.num-list-num][.num-list-text]Building institutional backing and distributing those resources effectively[.num-list-text][.num-list]

[.num-list][.num-list-num]3[.num-list-num][.num-list-text]Creating strategic and provocative interventions[.num-list-text][.num-list]

[.num-list][.num-list-num]4[.num-list-num][.num-list-text]Amplifying the initial impact of those actions to create space for even more change to come.[.num-list-text][.num-list]

We explore these features in more detail and ask how knowledge of other movements might help us build something which has the depth and breadth necessary to seismically shift “business as usual.”