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Creating jobs in a low-carbon economy

Tuesday 29th June 2010

As he delivered his Emergency Budget, Chancellor George Osborne pledged that the Coalition Government would be the greenest of all time.

But what does the Budget really mean for the development of a low carbon economy and for the creation of green jobs in the UK?

A £1.4billion package was pledged to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions and create a low carbon economy; £525million to support offshore wind power, £405million for the development of low carbon technologies and £375million for home energy efficiency schemes.

Ben Cartland, Manager of the Renewable Energy Recruitment Team at Acre said: "With the cuts that have been made in other areas of Government spending, it is positive to see the Government’s continued support for renewables. Over the past 12 months we have seen an increase in the number of jobs in the UK within renewable energy and clean technology.

"These include wind power specialists and energy efficiency engineers. We expect the Budget announcements this week to push this growth further."

Cartland said: "The Budget is a great start towards driving a UK low carbon economy but falls some way short of the £200billion needed to provide secure and sustainable energy sources and meet the 2020 carbon reduction commitments. The Government is looking for the private sector to invest in clean technology and renewable energy and meet the funding
deficit."

Acre’s Commercial Manager Beth Mitchell believes the signs are positive for job creation.

She said: "This funding and investment will inevitably create more jobs for professionals from a financial, investment, legal and policy background. We are already seeing an up-turn in the number of carbon finance and investment roles compared to 12 months ago and believe this will continue to increase."

However, Mitchell believes that there are still skill shortages in specific areas.

"We are lacking in skilled engineers and candidates with specific exposure to renewable technology," she said. "Currently we are sourcing professionals from mainland Europe where the talent pool is sufficient to meet our clients’ demands. Investment in training and the encouragement of the next generation to take scientific and engineering subjects is still lacking in the UK. Until the Government addresses this, the UK is going to struggle to have a sustainable supply of talent."

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