Government green job taskforce to support creation of 2m jobs
The government has today launched a green jobs task force to support the creation of 2m skilled jobs over the next decade.
The new body will assess what the UK job market needs to do to adapt as the country seeks to transition to a net zero emissions energy system by 2050.
It will create an action plan laying out what support people will need in order to be ready for the transition, including retraining and developing new skills.
The task force, which will be jointly chaired by energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng and skills minister Gillian Keegan, will meet for the first time today.
The initiative is part of wider government efforts to ensure that the UK is on track to meet its net zero target.
Ministers are attempting to combine this with attempts to “build back better” in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
Boris Johnson is currently working on a “10 step” plan to tackle climate change, which is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
It is rumoured that the ban on the sale of new diesel, petrol and hybrid cars will be brought forward to 2030 to support this.
In addition, the Prime Minister has already laid out plans to increase the UK’s wind power capacity to 40 gigawatts by the end of the decade – enough to power the equivalent of every home in the country.
The government has also put £3bn of green investment into renovating homes and public buildings to make them more energy efficient, which has the potential to support 140,000 jobs and help us transition to net zero.
Kwarteng said: “This government has promised to do all it can to provide good quality, secure work as we build back better and greener from coronavirus.
“The Green Jobs Taskforce will oversee the UK taking strides towards long-term economic prosperity, as well as transitioning to the new low-carbon green industries of the future”