11.06.20
LGA exposes potential for over a million new green jobs by 2050
The Local Government Association (LGA) has announced today (June 11) that over a million new green jobs could be created by 2050 if the Government works with Councils.
The LGA is calling on Government to develop a set of economic recovery measures, including skills and employment schemes, complete with devolved funding to facilitate the training and retraining of local workforces.
Data from its new commissioned report “Local green jobs – accelerating a sustainable economic recovery” highlights the expected rise in demand for green jobs as the country strives for its net zero economy.
These opportunities will help to rebalance unemployment from Covid-19, likely to increase when furlough ends from October.
Other predictions in the report are:
- 46% of total low-carbon jobs by 2030 will be in clean electricity generation and providing low-carbon heat from homes and businesses, including manufacturing wind turbines, installing solar panels and heat pumps.
- 21% of jobs by 2030 will involve installing energy efficiency products, such as insulation, lighting and control systems.
- 19% will be based on low-carbon services and producing alternative fuels such as bioenergy and hydrogen.
- 14% in the manufacturing of low-emission vehicles and associated infrastructure.
- The low-carbon workforce in England alone could increase by a further 488,569 between 2030 and 2050, taking the total number of jobs to more than 1.18 million by 2050.
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Cllr Sir Richard Leese, Chair of the LGA’s City Regions Board, said:
“Councils are driving the climate change agenda at a local level, through ambitious projects and targets, which is beginning to influence local economic growth plans and skills programmes.
“Demand for green jobs is due to sky-rocket as we move towards a net zero economy and local government, with its local knowledge and expertise, is best placed to ensure the workforce in every region of the country can successfully surf the new wave of employment opportunities.
“Localising and devolving skills investment, back to work support and any job guarantee will be critical to ensuring everyone benefits from new local jobs, including these one million new low-carbon jobs.
“To help meet national climate change targets and capitalise on the green jobs revolution, councils need to be given long-term funding, devolved powers and easier access to complex government funding pots to help realise the Government’s target of being carbon neutral by 2050.”