Jeremy Corbyn on Climate Change
TL;DR
Jeremy Corbyn views the climate crisis as an urgent class issue demanding a systemic global Green New Deal.
Key Points
In December 2015, he responded to the Paris agreement by calling for strong action and reversing cuts to clean energy support.
In April 2019, he moved a parliamentary statement for Britain to declare a national environmental and climate-change emergency, making it the first parliament to do so.
He stated in 2021 that the crisis is a class issue, arguing that ordinary people must take power back from big polluters to prevent deeper climate crisis.
Summary
Jeremy Corbyn has consistently framed the climate crisis as a class issue, arguing that the current political and economic system rewards big polluters and disproportionately punishes the poorest people globally and within nation-states. He believes that the challenge cannot be solved by weak politicians or incremental steps but requires a fundamental redistribution of power from corporations to ordinary people, alongside massive public investment. He has called for urgent, dramatic action to transition to a fully renewable energy system, emphasizing the need for a global Green New Deal that integrates environmental action with job creation and tackles global inequality.
His approach centers on transformative change, such as supporting the UK in reaching net-zero emissions before 2050, demanding that governments turn climate aspirations into strong, mandatory action through national legislation, and ensuring a just transition for workers in affected industries. He has also linked climate action to opposing projects like airport expansion, viewing such developments as contradictory to the necessary urgency required to avoid catastrophic warming. His stance advocates for optimistic, imaginative, and collective bottom-up action supported by visionary government action to secure a livable planet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jeremy Corbyn views the climate crisis as the most important challenge facing humanity, framing it fundamentally as a class issue. He advocates for a transformative, rapid response through a Green New Deal powered by public investment and systemic change to stop big polluters. He believes this requires governments to act with the urgency of an emergency, setting ambitious net-zero targets.
Yes, Jeremy Corbyn launched a bid to force a vote in Parliament for the UK to declare a national environmental and climate-change emergency in April 2019. He stated that declaring an emergency would send a clear signal and trigger a wave of action globally. His motion demanded urgent, dramatic action to avoid dangerous warming beyond 1.5°C.
He supports accelerating the transition to renewables and has advocated for democratizing energy, including proposals like renationalizing the National Grid. He argues that corporate control of energy systems has failed both socially and environmentally. He believes that a shift to a low-carbon sector must include a just transition, creating well-paid jobs for workers.
Sources8
Jeremy Corbyn: Climate Crisis Is a Class Issue
Jeremy Corbyn: We Need to Take Power From the People Who Are Destroying Our Planet
Responding to the Paris climate change agreement – Jeremy Corbyn MP
Corbyn to tell MPs: Do your duty, and declare a UK climate emergency
Corbyn launches bid to declare a national climate emergency
Is Corbyn out of step on energy politics?
Jeremy Corbyn Speech on Climate Crisis: Now Is Not the Time for Small Steps
Jeremy Corbyn: There is no more important challenge than the climate emergency. That is why I will vote against Heathrow expansion. Climate campaigners have defeated this before — and we will fight back again.
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.