Hi John
The UK government has handed out a publicly funded, £600 million loan to EasyJet. [1]
This comes just weeks after the founder of EasyJet received a £60 million pay-out from company profits - while the airline also asked its staff to take unpaid leave. [2]
We’d hope that any government loan would go to support their employees during this crisis. However, given EasyJet’s track record, it’s hard to be sure.
It’s also been revealed that across the world airline lobbyists are pushing governments to roll back environmental taxes that are there to try and protect our climate. [3] It’s outrageous.
That’s why we need to come together and call on the government to protect the vulnerable among us and protect employees. And before no-strings-attached bailouts are handed out to major polluting industries, our government must also make sure the money will drive positive change for both the climate and nature - no exceptions.
Can you call on the government to use public money to support both people and the environment?
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Greenpeace UK
[2] BBC: Coronavirus: Easyjet staff may no longer be given food on shifts
[3] Unearthed: Documents reveal airline industry plan for tax breaks, subsidies and voucher refunds
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Hi John
I hope you’re safe and well.
How do you protect both people and the planet at a time when the world feels like it’s been turned upside down?
Experts agree that by the end of this crisis, our country and our economy will look very different, [1] but which path will we have chosen for ourselves?
Our government is putting together a stimulus package for the economy as we speak.
We want - and need - a robust and sustainable economic recovery that works for *everyone*. It must put people first and protect the planet we all depend on for the long term.
Will you join us in demanding a better, fairer future?
While our minds are diverted and our worries elsewhere, some big polluting industries are asking for climate regulations to be rolled back or for big, no-strings attached bailouts. But without attaching climate-saving conditions, we could be going down the wrong path - just take a look at the US where Trump is giving in to pressure from corporate lobbyists to strip environmental protections. [2]
Alternatively, we could put ourselves on course for a smart, green economy that works for everyone - provides well paid, sustainable jobs, and offers a safer, more resilient future for us all. [3] This means energy efficient housing, renewable energy, a healthy food system, and a proper response to climate change.
One thing I’ve noticed during this crisis - and probably you have too - is the ingenuity of people as we rise to the challenges of this time. Things we never thought possible have happened in a matter of days: government spending on a level we haven’t seen in decades, tens of thousands of food parcels delivered to clinically vulnerable people - hundreds of thousands of volunteers for the NHS.
By clapping for carers at our doorsteps and from our windows, we found a way to be together, even though we must be physically apart.
As the government injects billions into the economy to keep it afloat, they have a chance to approach our problems from new angles.
Your voice can help to shape the route they choose - the government has already introduced further measures to protect workers because of pressure from people like us. [4]
Please tell the government to put people and planet first.
Thank you so much for all you do!
Flo
Greenpeace UK
Notes:
1- BBC: Global economy will suffer for years to come, says OECD
2 - New York Times: E.P.A., Citing Coronavirus, Drastically Relaxes Rules for Polluters Guardian: Carmakers accused of trying to use crisis to avert emissions crackdown
3 - The Guardian: Covid-19 economic rescue plans must be green, say environmentalists
4 - ITV: Chancellor set to unveil fresh emergency package to help workers through coronavirus outbreak
More reading:
Greenpeace International: South Korea’s ruling political party becomes East Asia’s first to announce Green New Deal manifesto
New Economics Foundation: We must build a future that puts people first and allows us to feel hope again
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