Judith Russenberger

Counting on … day 3

3rd January 2024

Avoid food waste

“If food waste were a country, it would be the third biggest polluter in the world. Globally, one third of the food we produce goes to waste, and according to WRAP, £3.5 billion worth of edible food is thrown away each year by UK households” – https://hubbub.org.uk/how-to-tackle-a-complex-issue-like-food-waste-and-turn-it-into-action

Food waste can happen at the farm especially if crops produce more than expected or reach harvesting time sooner or later than expected, which often means that the supermarkets are not ready for the produce. This is good reason for eating what is available which is more achievable when buying from a green grocer or via a veg box scheme.

Food waste can happen at the shop/ supermarket when items are over stocked. Increasingly supermarkets are encouraged to divert this food to charities rather than letting it go to waste.

Food waste also happens in the home. This is best avoided by preparing and cooking only what you will eat (and so having a good feel for portion sizes), by saving and reusing left overs, and by buying only what you will use – a shopping list is a good way of avoiding overbuying.

For more tips – https://greentau.org/2021/08/09/eco-tips-4/

And – https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Counting on … Day 2

2nd January 2024

Eat seasonally. It is better to eat what is growing and what is currently available locally than to eat things grown out of season (either in hot houses or imported from abroad. It is also better to eat what is available – even if that means sprouts after Christmas because that’s what the farmer grew to supply the supermarkets, or the broccoli that is ready to be harvested now because the weather has been mild. Not eating what is available means it will go to waste.

Eating seasonally is also good fun! It is a pleasure to look forward to the first asparagus in May, or the savoy cabbages in January, the first Discovery apples in July or the wild garlic leaves in April. There isn’t the same excitement to be had from always having strawberries to eat every day, or tomatoes (which are never as tasty in the winter as they are in the summer).

For a colourful chart –

Counting on … Day 2

2nd January 2024

For information on what is in season see – https://hubbub.org.uk/how-to-eat-seasonally-in-the-uk-a-month-by-month-guide

Counting on … Day 1

1st January 2024

Things we can do to address the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Cut out or cut back on meat in our diets and instead eat seasonal plant based meals. And with Veganuary, this is a good time to start – or at least to experiment.

We are not always aware of the extent to which farm animals dominate the environment. Looking at the weight (mass) of mammals that inhabit the planet, a mere 4% are wild creatures (and that includes whales and elephants), 34% are humans and 62% are farm animals. This ratio is unsustainable. Raising farm livestock requires large amounts of land for grazing and fodder crops, and water – all of which could be better used feeding the world and restoring biodiverse rich habitats.

For masses of previous items – https://greentau.org/tag/vegan/

eco tip for swopping to a plant based diet – https://greentau.org/2021/10/12/eco-tips-11

Or sign up for the Veganuary email – https://veganuary.com/

Greenpeace

1st Sunday of Christmas

31st December 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord says Isaiah.

Yet when we listen to the news we may feel there is little cause for rejoicing. War, injustice, poverty, overstretched health systems, floods and storms, and the hypocrisy of politicians telling us that they have our best interests at heart, that they are doing so much to safeguard the environment, to help the poor and vulnerable!

As we hear again the Christmas stories from the Gospels, we realise that things weer not so very different then. Power was in the hands of a few, and their wishes inconvenienced others. Yet God’s message of salvation and hope was passed onto the poor – shepherds, carpenters, overstretched innkeepers – and was sought out by those seeking wisdom and truth, those who were prepared to travel long distances, willing to make detours and backtrack. And there was mass murder, there were refugees, there was poverty.

Today’s psalm echoes the themes of the Magnificat – healing the broken hearted, lifting up the lowly: salvation is about transformation and restoration, healing and growth. It is God’s word, God’s command, that effects this. It is a message we mustn’t forget. It reminds and reassures us that just because the world is in a bad way, that that is not how God will’s it to be; rather God desires that this bad state of affairs be transformed, be turned upside down. God is so committed to this that God took on our human nature so that we could see the God-given potential that humans have.

If we look around, we can see signs of hope: the people and the governments demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the continued provision of food banks and homeless shelters, the expansion of renewal energy in Uruguay (98%), states challenging Trump’s right to stand for a second term as President, the reduction in air pollution in London as a result of the ULEZ scheme, a funded project to protect and enhance the UK’s Celtic rainforest.

If both Isaiah and the Psalmist can praise God with an absolute certainty that righteousness will spring up like plants in a garden and that salvation will blaze forth like a torch, can we too embrace that confidence too? Can we recognise the God-given potential in ourselves and in others to achieve this? Here we are on the cusp of a new year, what resolutions can we make?

The passage from John’s gospel tells us that it is the light that will transform the world; a light that cannot be overcome. It is a light to which John the Baptist testifies; he can do no other. John’s calling is to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! He speaks truth to power. He speaks with an honesty that is clear that he is just a messenger: the gospel message – the light – is so much greater. John knows that there are others who will choose not to hear the truth, who will deny the validity and the importance of the message. Others who will put forward an alternative – false – message. Yet that will not stop John proclaiming what he knows to be true, and it will certainly not prevent the light from being eternally present.

For climate activists this calling to proclaim a message of truth that many do not want to hear, that those in authority wish to suppress, the reality that John faced will come as no surprise. And such truth telling is needed. Governments are not truthful about the scale of the climate and ecological crisis. Oil companies are not truthful about their commitment to ending fossil fuel extraction. Judges do not allow the truth to be heard when climate activists are on trial.

Hopefully today’s gospel will be an encouragement for them, an acknowledgment that they are but the next generation of a long line of those called to proclaim the salvific promises of God.

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,

until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.

The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;

and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Psalm 147

1 Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God! *
how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!

2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted *
and binds up their wounds.

4 He counts the number of the stars *
and calls them all by their names.

5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *
there is no limit to his wisdom.

6 The Lord lifts up the lowly, *
but casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *
make music to our God upon the harp.

8 He covers the heavens with clouds *
and prepares rain for the earth;

9 He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *
and green plants to serve mankind.

10 He provides food for flocks and herds *
and for the young ravens when they cry.

11 He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *
he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;

12 But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *
in those who await his gracious favour.

13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
praise your God, O Zion;

14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
he has blessed your children within you.

15 He has established peace on your borders; *
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.

16 He sends out his command to the earth, *
and his word runs very swiftly.

17 He gives snow like wool; *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
who can stand against his cold?

19 He sends forth his word and melts them; *
he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.

20 He declares his word to Jacob, *
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.

21 He has not done so to any other nation; *
to them he has not revealed his judgments.
Hallelujah!

Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

Counting on …

29th December 2023

The climate and ecological crises that the world faces are of human making and it is we humans who will have change the way we live if we are to avert a worsening of events. Much will have to be done at the level of international cooperation, at the level of national and local governments, by businesses and organisations, but even at the smaller scale of local communities, households and individuals, there are things changes to be made that will collectively make a difference.
I have included many thoughts and ideas in my original Counting Down posts and in the Counting on posts, often recycling suggestions. And that is what I shall be repeating. January is typically the month for making New Year’s resolutions which is a good place to start if we are looking to adopt more sustainable, planet friendly lifestyles. So over the 31 days of January I shall be putting forward some suggestions and ideas in the hope they will enable and encourage us all.

Windows of Opportunity

24th December 2023

Welcome the migrant

“Is immigration good or bad? Some argue that immigrants flood across borders, steal jobs, are a burden on taxpayers and threaten indigenous culture. Others say the opposite: that immigration boosts economic growth, meets skill shortages, and helps create a more dynamic society. Evidence clearly shows that immigrants provide significant economic benefits.” (1)

For financial figures here is some research for UCL: “The researchers showed that immigrants to the UK arriving between 2000 and 2011 were 45% less likely to be on benefits or tax credits than UK natives, and 3% less likely to live in social housing. European Economic Area (EEA) immigrants contributed 34% more in taxes than they received as benefits, while UK natives’ tax payments over the same period were 11% lower than the hand-outs they received.

“Later work by CReAM [UCL Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration] calculated that the net fiscal contribution of immigrants from the post-2004 EU accession states (such as Poland) arriving between 2000 and 2011 was £5 billion, while recent immigrants from the rest of the EU contributed £15 billion. Non-EU immigrants also boosted the public purse by £5 billion overall. In contrast, UK natives’ contribution was negative, costing almost £617 billion.” (2)

Sometimes the words ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ are used as interchangeable and with the intent of denigrating the other. Th UNHCR provides the following , together with the reminder that all refugees and migrant are individuals who ‘deserve full respect for their human rights and dignity.’

“Refugees are specifically defined and protected in international law. These are individuals who have fled their homes to escape persecution, conflict, violence, serious human rights violations or other events seriously disturbing public order, and who seek safety in another country. As a result, they require “international protection” from another country, where their own country of origin is unable or willing to protect them.

“Migrants are not as specifically defined under international law, but the term has been used to refer to people who choose to move across borders, not because of any direct threats of persecution, serious harm, or death, but exclusively for other reasons, including for work, education or family reunification. Other complex factors may also be at play, such as escaping hardships due to environmental disasters, famine, or extreme poverty. Those who leave their countries for these reasons would not ordinarily be in need of international protection, as they – unlike refugees – would continue, in principle, to enjoy the protection of their own country when they are abroad and when they return.

“…broadly, refugees and migrants should collectively be referred to as “individuals”, “people”, or “people on the move”. (3)

In the following extract from an article written for Brookings International Press, what is written about refugees would be equally applicable to migrants. It outlines how refugees – and migrants – benefit not just the country they move to, but the one from which they have come as well.

“Not only are refugees not a burden, rather they are welfare-enhancing assets. Indeed, accepting, protecting, and empowering refugees is a win-win-win formula: for the refugees themselves, for the country of destination, and for the country of origin.

“It is a win for the refugees for obvious reasons: The earlier a state commits to protecting refugees, the earlier they can move forward with their lives, without uncertainty blocking the way. Most importantly, accepting them protects the most precious right of all: The right to live.

“Accepting refugees is also a win for the receiving country and the communities that host them. By providing them with the right to work, to health, and to education, refugees can start productive lives in their host countries. The faster they can integrate into the labor force, the faster they can become productive members of society.…Receiving countries can benefit in more ways, too. Refugees could play a fundamental role in fostering international trade and investment. Since they know the business environment quite well, they can mediate between business people in both countries who are willing to invest in the local community and trade with local businesses.

“What about origin countries? They can also benefit immensely in the medium- to long-term from the resettlement of their citizens as refugees in foreign countries. First, the countries of origin also benefit from the creation of business networks between them and the countries where the refugees were resettled. For developing countries overcoming conflict, the flow of investment could be crucial for recovery. In addition to these business networks, the refugees can play a significant role in transferring technologies and knowledge back home, which translates into more competitive and diversified economies. In ongoing research with several co-authors, we show how, for instance, the nations that emerged from the former Yugoslavia hugely benefited from the knowledge and experience gained by Bosnian, Croat, and Serb refugees who temporarily resettled in Germany during the war of the early 1990s.” (4)

The following is an extract from an article by ODI, an independent global think tank, about the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR) on Migrants, Refugees, and Societies. It highlights the important point that migrants should be given the same rights as protection as non-migrants within a country if maximum benefits for all are to generated.

“As noted in the WDR, formal access to the labour market leads to better outcomes for migrants. In practice, this means a strong regulatory system needs to be in place to ensure labour and human rights protection in all destination states, safe recruitment, decent and varied employment options and access to social protection provisions – even for short-term arrangements such as seasonal work. Reticent policy makers should be reminded that, in turn, better protected workforces mean greater net benefits of migration, including taxes for host countries and greater remittances for countries of origin.

“The 2023 WDR shows clearer than ever that migration can be a win for countries of origin and of destination alike, but only when it is also a win for migrants can we ensure that the full potential of human mobility is reached”. (5)

(1) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/how-immigration-has-changed-the-world-for-the-better/

(2) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/impact/case-studies/2022/apr/evidence-proves-true-effect-immigration-uk

(3) https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/stories/refugees-or-migrants-how-word-choices-affect-rights-and-lives

(4) https://www.brookings.edu/articles/refugees-are-a-win-win-win-formula-for-economic-development/

(5) https://odi.org/en/insights/migration-can-be-a-source-of-prosperity-all-countries-but-only-when-it-benefits-migrants-themselves/

4th Sunday of Advent

24th December 2023

Sunday reflection (readings are below)

In the reading from 2 Samuel, both Nathan and David learn that the ‘house of God’ as a legacy is not to be found in a temple or any other physical building – which might gives us pause for thought when we think of of the sums of money and the emotional value we invests in cathedrals and church buildings. Rather the enduring legacy that will attest to God’s greatness – and reflect their faithful love of God – will be that of kinship and kingship. It will be in the lineage of those who are faithful to God, following the ways of God, that will be an everlasting kingdom – the kingdom of God.

The passage from Paul’s letter to the new Christian communities in Rome, reminds them – and us – of the mystery of what was there all along yet hidden, and which was revealed in Jesus, the gift of faith. Faith that builds communities, that transforms injustices, that brings healing and new life – faith being about the upside down world described in the Magnificat.

Just as Mary found favour with God, so we too can with faith, find ourselves favoured by God. Recently I was reading a poem, ‘Virgin Birth’ by Joy Cowley, in which she speaks of ‘the Emmanuel space’ within us where we conceive and give birth to Christ. It is a holy space she says which cannot be filled by friends or family (as important as they are) nor by power or status, but only by God. If only God can fill this space, it must be also a vulnerable space. Somewhere we might shy away from as to fill it – to allow God in – is to acknowledge a need for God. So it can be a space we block from sight, hiding it behind other things. Hiding it behind things like power and status, wealth and desire, or behind things that are not unimportant – like family and friends, like the climate crisis and social justice – and so we may struggle on, failing to receive that most valuable gift of God incarnate.

If like David and Nathan we wish to honour God with a temple, we will best do so by adding to the lineage that is the House of God, by being participants in the faithful participants in God’s kingdom, both receiving and sharing the gift of God within our lives on an ongoing basis.

When we think of lineage as a family, we have the image of a trunk from which many branches reach out, dividing and crisscrossing as they stretch ever further out. God’s family tree is more truly a network. It grows as members (and here we should not be purely human focused but recognise all creation as part of God’s kingdom) are open to God’s spirit moving within them. And it is disrupted and damaged when God’s spirit is impeded by our own vanities, self importance, desire for power etc – those activities that unchecked lead to prejudice, oppression, conflict, injustice and war.

As we wait in the eve of Christmas ready to celebrate the mystery of Christ entering our lives, let us acknowledge what is not right in the world and hold onto the hope that it does not have to be this way and that we as part of God’s favoured ones, we can too can give birth to change.

Samuel 7:1-11, 16

When the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.

The Response

Canticle 15

The Song of Mary Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; *
for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Romans 16:25-27

Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith– to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Windows of Opportunity

23rd December 2023

Pay taxes

Paying taxes is an essential part of maintaining safe and sustainable societies. Taxation pays for the public services which benefit the whole of society. Avoiding paying tax is destructive of societies and therefore of individual lives. Avoiding tax – whether as an individual or as a company – is wrong but is is the tax avoidance by large multinational companies that probably causes the most harm.

Ethical Consumer writes “Tax avoidance is shifting profits so you have to pay a lower rate of taxes. It involves using loop holes in tax systems so that you can reduce rates in a way that law makers never intended but which is entirely legal. Often, this means registering sales that took place in one country with a company based in another, where tax-rates are lower. For example, in 2017 Amazon registered almost 75% of its UK sales through a Luxembourg based subsidiary. Tax evasion is hiding profits or fiddling accounts in order to avoid taxes, and is definitely illegal. In 2017, it was estimated that globally tax avoidance was losing nations over $500 billion a year.

“In the UK, tax avoidance is channelling much needed money away from the NHS, housing and other vital forms of public infrastructure. But the cost of tax avoidance is even greater in poor nations. In countries where wages – and accordingly individual income taxes – are low, a far higher proportion of government revenue comes from corporate taxation. This can be as much as 16%, compared to 8% in richer countries.

“If looked at in proportion to GDP, the countries that lose the most from tax shifting are consistently the poorest. In Chad, during 2017, the estimated losses to profit shifting were larger than all of the (non-resource) taxes collected in the country that year.” (1)

In a report published in 2010 Christian Aid estimated “that just two forms of tax dodging, transfer mispricing and false invoicing, cost developing countries US$160 billion every year…roughly one and half times the world’s annual aid budget.” (2)

Not paying corporate taxes also affects the UK’s tax revenue. Corporate Tax News reported this summer that “Amazon’s main UK division, Amazon UK Services, has once again avoided paying corporation tax, thanks to tax credits received for its investments in infrastructure. While the company’s pretax profits and sales have increased, there are concerns about the lack of transparency around its total profits and tax contributions. Critics argue that Amazon’s ability to avoid taxes gives the company an unfair advantage over local businesses. The controversy has highlighted the need for more transparency and fair taxation practices from multinational companies operating in the UK.” And “Amazon invested £12 billion in the UK in 2021. This included £1.6 billion spent on infrastructure, such as more robotics for warehouses and a software development center in Swansea. The company’s sales across its entire UK network also increased by £1 billion, making it larger than Asda, the UK’s third-largest supermarket. Amazon claims that it paid a total of £781 million in taxes in the UK, including business rates, employer’s national insurance contributions, and corporation tax. However, critics argue that this figure does not provide a clear picture of Amazon’s tax contributions, especially when considering the tax credits received in the UK and other European countries.” (3)

Turn this round. Just think how more money could be invested in public services, in tackling the climate crisis, and in addressing global injustices, if all the taxes that should be paid, were paid!

The UN is one of the forums where global tax legislation could be reformed. “Developing nations could have a greater say over global tax rules after winning a diplomatic tussle at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday. A new resolution, agreed by UN members, gives the body a mandate to kickstart intergovernmental talks on tax. The policy area has long been dominated by the Paris-headquartered Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a body largely formed of wealthy countries including the US, UK and Japan. The resolution, presented by the African Group, ultimately paves the way for a UN convention on taxation and a new global tax body, according to campaigners…The resolution was fiercely opposed by some western diplomats behind the scenes in New York, officials on both sides of the debate around the UN’s role on tax affairs said. Some rich nations, including the US, had fought against the resolution in an attempt to maintain a tighter grip on global tax rules. Campaigners want international agreement on measures such as a floor for corporate tax rates, so countries cannot undercut one another, and forcing multinationals to report how much tax they pay in each country.” (4) One of the key campaign groups is the Tax Justice Network – https://taxjustice.net/

In the UK the Fair Tax Foundation campaigns on this issue. “Tax contributions are a key part of the positive social and economic impact made by business – helping the communities in which they operate to deliver valuable public services and to build the infrastructure that allows business to thrive. Via our Fair Tax Mark accreditation scheme, we seek to encourage and recognise businesses that pay the right amount of corporate income tax at the right time and in the right place. We believe that businesses that pay their taxes willingly, fairly and transparently should be celebrated and rewarded.” (4)

As “Fair Tax is at the heart of a fair society, a strong economy and a functioning democracy.” The Fair Tax Foundation also runs a pledge scheme where by individuals and small traders – http://fairtaxpledge.uk/

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/money-finance/what-tax-avoidance

(2) http://www.financialtransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ChristianAidTaxReport.pdf

(3) https://tax-planning.org.uk/amazon-uk-services-pays-no-coporation-tax-again/

(4) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/23/un-agrees-global-tax-rules-resolution-giving-developing-nations-greater-say?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

(5) https://fairtaxmark.net/aboutus/

Windows of Opportunity

22nd December 2023

Jobs for all in a just transition

As steel plants in the UK switch to electric arc furnaces and the production of green steel, there is likely to be a loss of 5000 jobs. (1) (2)(3) During the slump in the demand for oil during Covid, 2000 jobs were on the line at BP alone. (4) If as is needed, oil production declines there will be job losses.

Similar job losses happened when the UK transitioned away from coal, when the UK lost most of its ship building industry, its motor industry etc.

But need it be so? Surely the green industry offers many new job opportunities

Equally a better financed public sector could – and should – provide well paid and well respected jobs in health care, social care, education, transport, etc.

Friends of the Earth recommend both an apprenticeship scheme to give young people training in job skills that have a long term future, and in investing in new green jobs.

“Green jobs are jobs that have a focus on either reducing carbon emissions, restoring nature or making similar environmental improvements. Sustainability managers in businesses, green transport officers and thermal heating specialists are all examples of green jobs. If we’re to create a greener and fairer future for all after the pandemic, we need more green jobs. Not only will they be good for the planet, they can also help address employment inequalities across the country.

The UK government should invest up to £10 billion over the next 5 years to create 250,000 green apprenticeships in England and Wales, with wage subsidies of 50-100% depending on need. “Devolved nations should receive equivalent funding for programmes within their borders.

Alongside green apprenticeships, we’re also calling for the government to fund £40 billion annually in a green infrastructure investment programme that could create more than 1 million jobs for people of all ages, saving the NHS tens of billions of pounds and delivering other significant benefits like healthier air and warmer homes.

“ Not only do green jobs present a golden opportunity to reverse unemployment, they’re also basic common sense. Right now, young people are being taught and given careers advice on jobs that may not even exist in 10 years’ time. We’re setting them up to fail where we could be training them to succeed.” (5)

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/oct/22/british-steel-owner-preparing-to-cut-as-many-as-2000-jobs-report-says?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

(2) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/15/tata-steel-seals-500m-uk-support-package-but-big-job-losses-feared?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

(3) https://neweconomics.org/2023/11/a-just-transition-will-require-steely-resolve-from-policy-makers

(4) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52966609

(5) https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/whats-green-job-and-how-can-we-create-more-the

Windows of Opportunity

21st December 2023

Universal basic services

“The concept of universal basic services (UBS) is based on the premise that the first job of good government is to make sure everyone’s basic needs are met. This is often best achieved through collective services rather than individual market transactions. The UBS framework sets out clear criteria that public services should be fulfilling:

Free or affordable access according to need, not ability to pay.
A mixed economy of provision, bound by a set of public interest obligations.
Guaranteed fair pay and conditions for service workers.
Environmental sustainability built into the design and delivery of services.
Devolved powers to the lowest appropriate level.

This framework provides a basis to reimagine the design and delivery of ECEC provision as a universal public service that can better meet the needs of children, parents and staff, while making a positive contribution to the economy, society, and environment in which it sits”. (1)

“Why universal basic services? The UK is wealthy, but for many people it is not prosperous. Our economy is failing to deliver for many people. Forces of anger and resentment have entered our politics, as a growing number of people are left behind.” (2)

UCL suggests universal basic services should cover:

Transport
Food
Information
Local democracy
Health and care
Shelter

A report published by the Social Prosperity Network at the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) in 2017 estimated the cost as being £42bn (2.3% of UK GDP) which it said could be funded through changes to the Personal Allowance making it fiscally neutral. It would bring most benefit to,those on the lowest incomes saving them £126 a week in living costs. (3) Equally it would contribute to a healthier, both physically and mentally, workforce.

Anna Coote writing for Taylor and Francis Online comments: “Proposals for UBS have been closely informed by the experience of public services in the UK, where government policies since the 1970s have chipped away at the postwar consensus and at the value of benefits in kind. Changes have been driven by a vision of economic success based on personal choice, private ownership, a small state, and a free market, blaming the jobless and poor for their own troubles and urging individuals to help themselves. Many services, including care for children and disabled adults, as well as housing and transport, have been outsourced to for-profit corporations, stripped down to the bare bones, abolished altogether, or left to the vagaries of voluntarism and philanthropy. Combined with cuts to the value of social security benefits, the effects have greatly exacerbated social and economic inequalities and left more than a million living in destitution.” She goes onto say “The case for UBS rests on two key principles: shared needs and collective responsibilities. It recognises that all human beings have the same set of basic needs that must be satisfied in order to survive and thrive, think for one’s self, and participate in society.”

Coote also sees in the provision of universal basic services, the concept of sustainability as proposed in Kate Raworth’s theory of Doughnut Economics. “[T]he concept of UBS embodies an ethos of collective responsibility and a needs-based approach to human welfare, based on sufficiency. As such, it offers a robust framework for policy and practice that is closely aligned with the goal of living well within limits. It seeks to build solidarity and mutual support among people and groups in ways that cannot be achieved by systems based on market transactions alone. By encouraging an awareness of interdependence and developing practical experience of collective responsibility, UBS can help to create favourable conditions for society to “play a pivotal role in imposing limits” on individual freedom to consume more than is required to live a good life.” (4)

Universal basic services is good not just for the individual and society, but also for the environment.

(1) https://neweconomics.org/2023/11/a-fair-start-for-all?link_id=10&can_id=a3029987c1ac6171de26390e6aabf63f&source=email-news-from-nef-the-budget-property-taxes-childcare&email_referrer=email_2123509&email_subject=news-from-nef-the-budget-property-taxes-childcare

(2) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/igp/research-projects/2023/jul/universal-basic-services

(3) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/ideas/bartlett-review/future-welfare-universal-basic-services

(4) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15487733.2020.1843854