Callfor greenjobs revolution
An environmental organisation has claimed investment in green infrastructure could help replace jobs“permanently lost”in the Perth and North Perthshire constituency due to COVID-19.
And Green New Deal UK reckon over 400 more jobs would be created through the development of green energy, research and development, digital infrastructure and social care.
According to the group, in March, the Office of National Statistics found that despite the worsening climate crisis and growing pandemic-induced unemployment, the UK’s green workforce actually shrank between 2014 and 2019, falling from 235,900 in 2014 to 202,100 in 2019.
It also says permanent COVID-19 job losses nationally are expected to reach nearly a million in two years and nearly two million 10 years.
According to Green New Deal UK, all of these permanent job losses could be replaced with green jobs in just two years.
Hannah Martin, co-executive director of Green New Deal UK, said:“Every day people are losing their jobs and struggling to find work due to COVID-19.
“At a time when we need to rapidly decarbonise our economy and build resilient future industries which will allow people and planet to prosper, having so many people out of work makes no sense.
“We have so much work to do to build the future we need, but we must see proper government investment to kick-start that green jobs revolution. Our data shows the huge potential for green jobs in the UK, providing millions of good jobs in every part of the country.”
The data and analysis from Green New Deal UK challenges pre-existing notions of what constitutes a green job, including work in sectors such as care which have a relatively low environmental impact and which the UK urgently needs to scale up to deal with the fallout from the pandemic and Britain’s ageing population.
Ms Martin added:“We need to broaden our understanding of what makes a job green.
“A truly green economy is so much more than wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles - it is an army of retrofitters, carers, bike couriers and teachers, up and down the country, all working towards transforming our economy.
“Without a doubt, it is workers that have shouldered the greatest suffering during the pandemic. So now it is crucial that we put those workers at the heart of our recovery with a Green New Deal.”