Green Jobs:
Prospects for creating jobs from offshore wind in the UK

Author: Jenny Bird
Contributors:
Price: Free
Publication Date: 14 April 2009

As unemployment in the UK continues to increase with the global recession, it is only natural to look for opportunities to create new jobs. At the same time, the imperative to tackle climate change and drastically reduce emissions of greenhouse gases means that we need to have a radical rethink of how the UK economy will be structured in the future.

This report compiles evidence from industry players abroad and in the UK of the kind of interventions needed to deliver a successful offshore wind industry in Britain.

We need renewable energy to play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable economy for the UK. We have ambitious targets – but, as this report outlines, there are significant policy and practical issues to be dealt with before delivery can be assured. The efforts to start a recovery from the current economic downturn provide an opportunity for the UK to get its share of the benefits of this renewable revolution, but – and this is especially key for offshore wind – success demands that financial support and a new policy framework must be focused on making sure we deliver on our renewable targets.