– UK falling behind EU neighbours in transition to green economy
Jean Lambert MEP will open the Green Party conference in London this Friday, 5 September, where she will launch her new report, Green Work. The publication calls for greater investment in green industries and skills for workers to help transform the UK to a low-carbon economy.
The new research has found that there is huge potential for job creation in green industries like wind and solar power, which is not yet being exploited. The report also warns of a skills gap in the UK which will hold back our ability to capitalise on the green revolution unless it is addressed now.
The UK is currently lagging far behind its European neighbours in terms of green jobs. For instance, in Germany there are currently 250,000 jobs in renewable energy, while in the UK there are 26,000 at best.
Forty per cent of the wind capacity in the EU is in the UK, yet it produces only 4% of current wind energy. Up to 48,000 jobs could be created across the UK in the wind power industry alone. However the UK is facing skills shortages in the renewable energy sector as a result of an historic lack of investment in all levels of skills development in engineering and the trades.
Jean Lambert MEP, who sits on the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee, said:
"The UK renewable energy programme is likely to be hit by skills shortages unless the Government revitalises apprenticeships, working with SMEs and ensuring employer buy-in to overcome to the skills gaps.
"Clearly what is needed is a comprehensive green skills action plan for the renewables sector, delivered with significant state funding. It is essential to increase the pool of people with STEM qualifications – science, technology, engineering and maths – for subsequent training in specialised green industries, such as renewable energy."
Jean Lambert will be joined at the launch by Sarah Pearce from the TUC’s Green Workplaces project, who will be highlighting the importance of trade union ‘green representatives’ in the workplace. Gordon Edge from the British Wind Energy Association and Tony Thomas, Professor at London South Bank University in Engineering, Science and the Built Environment will complete the panel.
The Green Party Conference will be taking place at SOAS at the University of London from Friday 5th to Monday 8th September. Jean Lambert MEP will be opening the conference at 2.30pm on Friday and will present the findings of her Green Work: Employment and skills – the climate change challenge report at 6pm on Saturday.
Notes
Potential for new green jobs in the UKThe UK’s target to produce 15% of our energy from renewable sources creates great opportunities for future green jobs. That level of renewable capacity would require 122-133,000 new jobs to manufacture, construct and operate. Solar energy also has great potential for job creation in the UK. In excess of 100,000 jobs could be created in the installation of solar, to reflect the size of industries already in existence in other countries in the EU.