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Economic Development

More than 6,000 'green' jobs advertised in North East, new report says

The PwC Green Jobs Barometer said the North East was still lagging other regions, despite improvements on the previous year

A worker moves components used in the manufacture of the battery for the Nissan Leaf at the Envision AESC º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Ltd battery plant based at Nissan in Sunderland.(Image: PA)

The number of ‘green jobs’ being advertised in the North East has increased but the region is still lagging other parts of the country, a new report suggests.

The PwC Green Jobs Barometer, which is now in its fourth year, said that 6,095 jobs in green industries were advertised in the North East last year, up 23% on the previous year. But that was well below the 58,000 jobs advertised in London, which retains a tight hold on many of the well-paying professional, scientific and technical jobs in the environmental sector.

Jobs linked to the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ’s net zero agenda are a key area of focus for North East economic leaders, with a particular focus on wind energy and green transport. New jobs in those industries account for 2.4% of posts advertised last year, PwC said, though this was below the national average of 3.3%.

Elsewhere in the North, there were more than 25,000 green jobs advertised in the North West and just over 17,000 in Yorkshire and Humber. PwC said that almost a fifth of jobs adverts in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ defined as ‘green’ are based in the North.

Adam Waller, PwC’s environmental, social and governance lead for the North, said: “It’s crucial for the North to be at the centre of the green energy transition. The data shows us that green energy jobs are having an increasing importance in the job market for the North West, and almost 18% of the number of jobs available that meet the barometer’s definition of ‘green’ can be found in the North.

“However, the region’s role in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ net zero ambitions is not without its challenges. Despite the large amount of green investment in the North - from Atrato’s solar farm in Yorkshire, AESC’s battery plant expansion in the North East and Aira’s climate tech research hub in Trafford - the geographical spread of green jobs is weighted heavily towards the south of the country.

“Given the scale of traditional industry and manufacturing, as well as its natural assets, such as wind and tidal energy generation, the opportunity is there for the North to play a key role in the energy transition. However, it will be critical to create the roles and provide the skills to capture this opportunity.”

The Green Jobs Barometer, tracks movement in the creation of green jobs, as well as carbon intensity of employment and worker sentiment across regions and sectors. It defines green jobs as direct production of products and services, adapting existing products and services to being more environmentally friendly, and jobs that support a green economy indirectly.