Green New Deal has merit without it (7)
I believe the answer is:
emerald
'green' is the definition.
(emerald is a shade of green)
'new deal has merit without it' is the wordplay.
'new' indicates anagramming the letters.
'has' is an insertion indicator.
'without' indicates named letters should be taken away.
'merit' with 'it' removed is 'mer'.
'deal' is an anagram of 'eald'.
'eald' placed around 'mer' is 'EMERALD'.
(Other definitions for emerald that I've seen before include "and 1 Across: Ireland" , "Bright green colour" , "Green like this isle" , "...re medal? (Anag)" , "a type employed by the press" .)