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Government must take action to make the UK workforce ‘climate ready’, argues ippr

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02 November 2009

As the Government prepares to publish its plans for overhauling the UK skills system before the end of the year, new research published today by leading think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), warns that unless the Government takes action to make the UK workforce ‘climate ready’, we may not be equipped to compete in a low carbon global economy.

Ippr argues that the depth of the recession means that it is more urgent than ever that the Government takes every possible opportunity to secure a strong economic recovery, by preparing UK business for a new clean energy economy'.

‘The future’s green: jobs and the UK low carbon transition’ stresses that as a priority, the new skills strategy, expected before the end of the year, must ensure that existing work-based training includes additional training on low carbon skills, so that every part of the UK workforce is equipped to compete in a low carbon economy.

ippr explains that the necessary skills will vary from job to job but as a minimum businesses will need a basic understanding of their contribution to climate change and how they can contribute to tackling it.

Examples of more specific skills requirements include:

Office managers will need training to know how to ensure that offices are not wasting energy
Finance officers will need to learn how to account for carbon as well as money
Electricians will need to be trained in how to work with new low-carbon technologies, like solar panels
Supermarket managers will need to work out how to cut carbon so that they comply with new legislation like the Carbon Reduction Commitment
Investment fund managers will need to understand the impacts that climate change schemes like the European Emissions Trading Scheme will have on the companies in their portfolios.

ippr warns that the Government cannot expect employers alone to lead the drive for low-carbon skills. Instead, Government will need to provide leadership to ensure the right training courses and funding are available to workers.

ippr’s Head of Climate Change, Simon Retallack said:

The Government’s new skills strategy must address the ‘chicken and egg’ problem of responsibility for equipping the UK workforce with the ‘low- carbon skills’ to help reduce business’ carbon emissions.

“Employers do not want to spend money training their staff with low-carbon skills until they are sure that government is serious about taking action to meet its climate change targets.

“But government cannot be confident in meeting targets if the workforce does not have the right skills to compete in a low carbon global economy.”

“To break this deadlock, Government needs to make the first move by ensuring adult skills training contains a ‘low-carbon’ element.”

Notes to editors

The future’s green: jobs and the UK low carbon transition by Jenny Bird and Kayte Lawton will be published Monday 2 November 2009. Embargoed copies of the report will be available to journalist upon request from the ippr press office.

ippr is winner of Prospect Magazine's Green Think-Tank of the Year Award 2009.

1. The Government’s Skills Strategy is due to be published before the end of the year.

2. ippr’s report The future’s green: jobs and the UK low carbon transition identifies four types of skill requirements that will be necessary for the transition to a low carbon economy:

Specific skills gaps requiring substantial investment in training and workforce development. e.g. civil engineers and high integrity pipe welders who are needed for building new renewable energy infrastructure
Skills shortages that could be addressed by ‘topping-up’ existing workforce skills e.g. how to fit solar pv panels for electricians or how to fit solar heating panels for plumbers
Generic skills shortages that apply across the UK economy e.g. management skills
Generic ‘green’ skills. e.g. general understanding and awareness about climate change and measures to reduce emissions

3. The Chancellor announced the first three carbon budgets for the UK in his Budget in April 2009. The budgets will result in a 22% reduction in emissions by 2012, a 28% reduction by 2017 and a 34% reduction by 2022 (compared to a 1990 baseline).

4. The UK has legally-binding targets to reduce emission of carbon dioxide by at least 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 (compared to a 1990 baseline)

5. The EU has set a legally-binding target for the UK to generate 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

6. The report’s other recommendations include:

The UK and devolved governments, working with partners, should develop national skills strategies that form part of national economic development plans where this does not exist already.
National skills strategies need to feed into the commissioning process for workplace training, alongside representations from the Sector Skills Councils based on their understanding on employer demand.
The UKCES should be given a formal coordination role to ensure that the different strategies work together across the UK and do not leave gaps.
Public funding for work-based learning should be targeted at low-carbon industries and other strategically important sectors and occupations where there are known skills challenges (as long as this is permitted by international trade laws).

Contacts

Kelly O’Sullivan, Media Officer, 020 7470 6125 / 0775 719 289 / k.osullivan@ippr.org

Tim Finch, Director of Strategic Communications, 020 7470 6106 / 07595 920 899 / t.finch@ippr.org