(this is the "easy to download" version without cover or photos. The full pdf version is approximately 7.5MB and available from jeanlambert@greenmeps.org.uk)
Read Statement by Jean Lambert MEP
ENVIRONMENTAL and social improvement targets are likely to be missed unless the Government 'joins up' its thinking on training and the environment, according to a report to be launched at South Bank University today.
"Strategies for improving the environment and tackling social exclusion rely heavily on training - but that training will fail to produce sustainable results unless it places environmental issues at its core," said London Euro-MP Jean Lambert.
"How are we going to meet targets on cutting greenhouse gas emissions if we haven't trained a generation of solar panel fitters, for example?"
Environmental factors such as pollution, congestion, noise and decaying infrastructure contribute to ill health, low quality of life and social exclusion.
European and UK-funded initiatives are trying to address social exclusion, but by concentrating on job creation without considering sustainability and environmental factors and failing to listen to the environmental concerns of socially excluded groups themselves they will fail to provide long-term solutions.
The report, 'Integrating Social Inclusion and the Environment', written by think tank Capacity Global and commissioned by London's Green Euro-MP Jean Lambert, compares social inclusion and employment policies in the UK, Germany and at EU level, and finds none integrate the environment into their strategies.
In all three, the preferred strategy for tackling social exclusion is promoting economic growth, high employment and training schemes - ignoring the environmental issues identified as priorities by the socially excluded groups themselves.
Focus groups of young people from deprived estates in London and Hamburg told the report's authors they were concerned about local open spaces, health and pollution, quality of life and income, crime and safety, individual responsibility, education and access to information. But current training and regeneration strategies fail to take these concerns into account, says the report.
"The focus group discussions with young people suggest that whilst policy on social inclusion, such as training, aims to increase employment, it fails to take into account the wider environmental concerns of young people," said Maria Adebowala, co-author of the report and Director of Capacity Global.
"Training that is only aimed at placing young people in jobs ignores the significant potential that exists to empower young people to improve the environment.
"Current policy, such as training solely through a perspective of increasing income capacity, is neither integrated nor capable of working towards a society that lives by the principles of sustainable development."
Mrs Lambert, who is a member of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, said her London constituency includes some of the most deprived estates in Britain.
"This report shows that while genuine efforts are being made to tackle social exclusion by improving employment prospects and raising incomes, failure to listen to the beneficiaries themselves risks failure.
"Long-term solutions must be sustainable, they must be based on dialogue with the socially excluded groups themselves, and they must address be coherent and consistent with the Government's objectives in other policy areas.
"If we are to meet our ambitious goals on environmental improvement and tackling social exclusion we will need to join-up our thinking and place the environment at the heart of our strategies."
The report makes a number of key recommendations for integrating the environment into social inclusion policies at local, national and European levels:
· 'Greening' training programmes;
·
Involve socially excluded young people themselves in the planning and implementation
of policy;
· Limiting public funding to strategies with a demonstrable
environmental component.
The report is being launched at South Bank University whose Division of Engineering offers vocational courses, educating engineers for the real world, which reflect good practice in integrating sustainability as a core principle.
As well as Jean Lambert and Maria Adebowale, Professor Tassos Karayiannis and Tony Day from South Bank University will be speaking to introduce their approach.
ENDS
Note to Editors
1) The title of the report is "Integrating Social Inclusion, Employment And The Environment: Exploring The Potential For Joined-Up Thinking".
2)
The full report will be available on-line from June 27 at:
http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/downloads/reports/0306capacityglobal.pdf
(this is the "easy to download" version without cover or photos. The full pdf version is approximately 7.5MB and available from jeanlambert@greenmeps.org.uk)
3) Note on the authors: Capacity Global works as a catalyst for social justice and sustainable development. Its key aim is to empower marginalised people around the globe who suffer the indignities of social, environmental and economic deprivation. Capacity's mission is to build alliances and networks to empower people throughout the globe to effectively participate in decisions that affect their quality of life.
For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358 or at press@greenmeps.org.uk