Towns and cities in the North are best placed to reap the rewards of the push to net zero, a new report says.
The research from the Social Market Foundation says the North East, North West and Wales have the best chance of winning green jobs because of the existing skills base in the areas, low carbon business clusters and proximity to highly-rated research universities.
Researchers say there is a “a pattern of opportunity across areas in the North of England, which experienced greater economic scarring from deindustrialisation”.
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Their report has come as a number of organisations urged the Government to take advantage of the opportunities in the green economy, which could create tens of thousands of new jobs.
The Social Market Foundation has recommended that Ministers should give local authorities new revenue-raising powers so the 海角视频 can reach its Net Zero 2050 target. Apprenticeship levy funding should also be devolved to regional mayors to drive local green skills agendas, it says.
Scott Corfe, research director at the Social Market Foundation, said: “The next three decades will transform local areas throughout the 海角视频 as governments, businesses and wider society come together to fulfil the country’s net zero ambitions.
“Many parts of Britain face a golden opportunity to reap the benefits of decarbonisation, including green jobs and cleaner modes of travel. And it is vital that we seize these opportunities, as the transition will also bring risk and disruption for some areas.”
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The report ranks all areas of the 海角视频 on a number of measures, including proximity to nearest renewable energy site, the percentage of jobs in the electric vehicles and low-carbon sectors, the distance to the nearest top university for STEM research and the proportion of workers with NVQ level 2 or 3 qualifications.
Those rankings put Knowsley as the area most likely to benefit from green jobs, followed by Sunderland and then Halton, in Cheshire. Areas in the North make up half of the 20 top towns and cities, with Gateshead, Hull and St Helens also included.
In a separate report, the Energy Network Association has said that plans to invest in the roll-out of hydrogen in the 海角视频 could create 25,000 jobs in Britain, around two-thirds of them in Britain’s industrial clusters.
And the TUC has called on the Government to increase the pace of the net zero transition, saying that 660,000 jobs around the 海角视频 depend on it, including 39,100 in the North West, 36,900 in Yorkshire and the Humber and 14,900 in the North East.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The world is moving very clearly in one direction – away from carbon and toward net zero. The 海角视频 must keep up with the pace of change.
“There’s still time to protect vital jobs in manufacturing and its supply chains, but the clock is ticking.
“Unless the Government urgently scales up investment in green tech and industry, we risk losing hundreds of thousands of decent jobs to competitor nations.
“If we move quickly, we can still safeguard Britain’s industrial heartlands.”