Energy Minister Greg Hands co-chaired the inaugural meeting (11 May) of the country’s “first-ever dedicated group” for creating UK green job opportunities.
The Government says the Delivery Group features leaders from business, industry, trade unions, and academia who will act on upskilling and training the green workforce of the future. They continue that the group is a vital step towards creating and supporting up to 480,000 skilled well-paid jobs by 2030.
The group is co-chaired with E.ON UK Chief Executive Michael Lewis.
The Government also says the group will ensure that workers, businesses, and local areas are supported throughout the transition to eliminating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050.
The UK needs a future pipeline of talent to power it towards net zero […]
The aim of the Delivery Group is to help ensure the UK has the skilled workforce it needs to build clean industries in the UK and transition to cheaper renewables in the face of rising fossil fuel prices.
The group will also ensure that workers, businesses, and local areas are supported throughout the transition to eliminating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050, the Government says.
Chair of the Delivery Group and Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, Greg Hands, said: “We will need tens of thousands of skilled workers for our clean transition and to boost energy security; and well-paid green jobs will help with the cost of living. Spreading opportunity by levelling up all parts of the country.”
The Delivery Group follows a recommendation by the Green Jobs Taskforce, which concluded that every job has the potential to be green.
It will look at ways to ensure all parts of the country and economy benefit from the green transition.
The Government says that its support will unlock up to £100 billion in private investment by 2030. They continue that by 2030, 95% of electricity could be low carbon, which means the UK will require more skilled workers for jobs such as building electric vehicles, manufacturing and installing heat pumps, hydrogen boilers, wind turbines and solar panels, as well as insulating British homes and buildings.
As part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan from November 2020, the Government says almost 68,000 green jobs have been created and supported or are in the pipeline across the UK.
Co-Chair of the Delivery Group and CEO of E.ON UK, Michael Lewis, said: “The UK needs a future pipeline of talent to power it towards net zero and this Delivery Group will ensure industry and government work together, so we have the diverse, skilled and resilient workforce needed for the future.”
CIWM’s President Dr. Adam Read, who is also External Affairs Director at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, has been selected to join the UK’s new Green Jobs Delivery Group.
Commenting on the selection, he said: “The creation of skilled green jobs is essential to sustainably rebuilding the UK economy and the creation of a more circular economy. The hugely diverse and innovative recycling and resource management industry is just one of the sectors that will benefit from this increased pool of talent.
“The Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) looks forward to working on the Green Jobs Delivery Group, supporting the creation of these vital opportunities and promoting the sector as an exciting and rewarding place in which to build a career as we continue our journey to a world beyond waste.”
