The following motions were submitted for discussion and passed at the Labour's Environment Campaign - SERA AGM which was held on 1st March 2025. 

Motion 1: Concerns regarding proposed use of blue hydrogen and carbon capture and storage in Net Zero plans

We are so proud of your Net Zero actions over the past 7 months in starting up Great British Energy, stopping licencing new oil and gas and encouraging investment in solar, wind and tidal energy and more.

However, there is a potential policy we are very concerned about should it become a part of Britain`s future energy plans.

We know you have inherited the previous governments' plans for using blue hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. However, blue hydrogen is made from methane, a potent fossil fuel greenhouse gas. This would lock our country into decades of damaging fossil fuel usage – how is this compatible with the Government's Net Zero policy?

The methane used would be imported from USA. What is the expected impact of this decision on increasing the UKs dependency on imported fuels?

Further, there is a serious risk of methane gas being released along the way of production, transportation and conversion of the liquid back to gas. How will these risks be mitigated? Many leading climate scientists are sceptical of these technologies.

Many active Labour Party members also feel strongly about this issue, and we urge the Government to use proven, effective, cheap, renewable technologies such as wind, solar and tidal, rather than depending on risky, expensive and unproven technologies that will lock us into decades of fossil fuel use.

We urge you to reconsider this decision.

Proposer: Dr Elaine Carter

Seconder: David Gair

For: 20

Against: 4

Abstain: 10

Motion 2

The Labour Government has committed to increasing public AI computing by at least twenty times by 2030 and to creating a series of ‘AI Growth Zones’ across the UK, to accelerate the build out of AI infrastructure on UK soil.  

However, these are energy intensive technologies, and the proposals are predicted to increase energy consumption in the UK by at least 25%. To address this, the UK Government has set up the “AI Energy Council’ that will bring together energy and AI industry leaders. 

SERA believes that the growth of AI could pose a significant threat to the UK’s ability to meet carbon emission reduction targets and our legally mandated carbon budgets. 

SERA commits to working with the government and the AI Energy Council, and campaigning with other environmental NGOs, to ensure that any growth in AI is powered by 100% renewable sources and that the UK becomes a world-leader in driving up the energy efficiency of AI and related infrastructure. 

Proposer: Melanie Smallman

Seconder: Lisa Trickett

For: 30

Against: 1

Abstain: 2

Motion 3

Time is running out. The devastating impact of climate change is seen within the fires and floods that we hear about on a daily basis.  The need for a fast and fair transition to prevent catastrophic climate change is understood and articulated within the Government but this has not been heard. 

Austerity and the failure of past transitions has left some communities more at risk and vulnerable to the impact of an unfair transition. The imperative to act on climate change cannot be decoupled from the need to pursue social justice and secure growth. Every factory closure - every job loss will be weaponised and seized on by those who put their vested interest above protecting people and our planet. Labour’s mission to rebuild Britain and make everyone better off is a direct challenge to the status quo that has seen wealth and opportunity concentrated in the hands of a few. 

SERA believes working across our membership and the Labour movement has a crucial role to play in helping shape the political narrative and taking on the right in the fight for a fast and fair transition, and commits to working with unions, other Socialist Societies, MPs, MSPs, MSs, Councillors and elected Mayors to achieve to protect people and our planet.

Proposer: Lisa Trickett

Seconder: Jessie Jacobs

For: 30

Against: 1

Abstain: 11

Motion 4: National Infrastructure – water infrastructure 

This AGM notes that since the Paris Agreement in 2015 that the world has not progressed fast enough in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, so that each of the past 10 years has been the hottest 10 years ever; that in 2024 the earth’s average temperature was about 1.5 degrees and that atmospheric CO2 Parts Per Million (PPM) has now reached 422ppm, a 25% increase in the last 45 years. Improved mitigation of further increases in greenhouse gases is now an urgent imperative to stop a runaway climate catastrophe.

This AGM further notes the welcome statements from the Labour Government elected in July 2024 on revising the National Planning Policy Framework, but notes that more needs to be implemented in terms of adaptation to the rapidly changing climate, as it is clear mitigation alone will not suffice. Adapting not only to increasingly hot periods but also to fluvial and tidal flooding is essential. Many large cities have been built on rivers, especially at the mouths of rivers, and it is now becoming urgent that they prepare for sea level rise and increasingly high tides.

This AGM resolves that SERA must campaign to see effective tidal flood defences included in the National Infrastructure Framework, to ensure citizens in all coastal cities have their homes and their livelihoods protected.  

Proposer: Leonie Cooper

Seconder: Hywel Lloyd

For: 30

Against: 2

Abstain: 1

Motion 5: Sustainable homes and workplaces (passed as amended below)

This AGM notes that reducing gas in the nation’s energy mix is the only way to meet the country’s net zero ambitions. A strong focus on renewable energy from wind, solar and tidal sources has been a very welcome part of the new Government’s proposals for Great British Energy. 

However, there are many sources of heat that are under-utilised and this AGM agrees to develop policy in relation to low carbon heat solutions and to present this to Ministers and their Advisers, to ensure that heat for Heat Networks is sourced from (for example), Shared Ground Loops, Industrial Air Source Heat Pumps, Anaerobic Digestors, data centres, the underground network, coal mines, sewage farms etc and that heat for individual heat solutions uses the ground or air, together with electricity from renewable sources.

Proposed heat solutions, including those for Energy from Waste plants, should all undergo thorough carbon calculations comparisons with other sources of heat before approval.  Such a Sera policy will support the country’s energy mix policies, as well as furthering Labour promises for warm homes for all.

Proposer: Leonie Cooper 

Seconder: Rachel Eden

Amendment proposer: Sydney Charles

Amendment seconder: Helen Mayer

For: 28

Against: 0

Abstain: 2

Motion 6: Economic and fiscal policies for social and environmental justice

To win votes and achieve our social and environmental objectives, Labour needs economic and fiscal policies which ensure that our economy delivers the public’s priorities, not those of corporations or financial markets.

A large majority wants government to act on climate change and expects this should improve their lives, protect our environment and decarbonise the economy.

Under Tory and SNP governments, promises of good quality new jobs from renewable energy generation have proved hollow. Progress on transforming major energy-consuming sectors including transport and housing has hardly started.

To show that its economic policies can achieve these outcomes, Labour should commit to an industrial strategy which includes

• ambitious targets for decarbonisation, nature protection and job creation;
• the certainty which businesses need to invest in this;
• requirements of businesses benefiting from government funding or support;
• development of manufacturing supply chains
• plans for workforce skills development
• support for workers in transition
• extending public and co-operative ownership and control over key parts of the energy system.

SERA agrees to advocate for this, drawing on fiscal proposals from think tanks, trade unions and environmentalists about increasing public funds for investment in this strategy and incentivising environmentally and socially-desirable behaviours.

Specific elements should include:

• just transition plans for every sector developed with workers and communities
• securing sufficient investment to deliver them
• plans for sustainable use of land and seas
• financial support for those on low incomes to enable the shift to sustainable housing and transport

Proposer: Matthew Crighton

Seconder: Pete Wood

For: 24

Against: 4

Abstain: 1

Motion 7

This motion calls upon SERA to lobby UK government secretary of state for business to work with the privatised Royal Mail company to develop a sustainable transport policy on the use of Railfreight services across England Scotland Wales and to and from Northern Ireland/ Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. 

By ferry and Rail services. 

To look at use of E bike and electric vehicles to deliver the mail service. 

And grant aid Rail freight services and terminal for Royal Mail services. 

To reduce the use of lorries and planes on the network. 

And to return rail services to the Royal Mail distribution network. 

Proposer: David Redgewell

Seconder: Ian Crawford

For: 26

Against: 1

Abstain: 2