Why a lack of powers for local leaders is putting green jobs revolution at risk

The Yorkshire Post reported yesterday that data published by the Local Government Association (LGA) shows that 420,000 direct jobs could be created across the North of England in low-carbon and renewable energy sectors by 2050 as the nation moves towards a green economy.

Analysis of these figures by The Yorkshire Post shows that 158,058 of these jobs would be created in Yorkshire, with the cities of Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Wakefield and Bradford the principal beneficiaries.

In Leeds it claims nearly 34,000 jobs will be created, followed by 13,000 in Sheffield, 12,000 in Bradford and more than 11,000 in Hull, Wakefield and Selby.

Hull, with its strong offshore wind turbine manufacturing base, is predicted to lead nationally on offshore wind, with Leeds predicted to be a major player on clean energy and low carbon heat. Many of these roles are set to be created by the end of the decade with the LGA claiming that the sector can help lead the UK’s economic recovery.

Bill Adams, Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Secretary for the Trades Union Congress, said "big, bold, low carbon investment" was neeed to build a better recovery after the pandemic.

He said: "Our vision is for unions, employers and local government to work together to deliver good, skilled, green jobs in a fairer economy."

But he warned: “This investment is in danger because fragmented local powers and uncoordinated funding mean there is no one voice to drive investment and infrastructure.

“That is why the TUC is calling for a Just Transition Commission for Yorkshire & the Humber, where regional leaders can convene trade unions and business to plan for a green recovery.

“Scunthorpe has steelworks ready to go, but most of the North Sea wind turbines aren’t being manufactured there. But if local politicians take the lead, trade unions can identify the skills gaps, local government can draw down a training budget, and employers can invest where it is needed.

“And a green recovery must mean more than just renewable power. We should see new infrastructure projects, like West Yorkshire’s mass transit system, as an opportunity to invest in green jobs, including building Carbon Capture and storage facilities to help industries to transition to a zero carbon future."

Melanie Onn, the former Labour MP for Grimsby, who is now deputy chief executive of not for profit renewable energy trade association RenewableUK, said the right approach from government was needed to support industry.

She said: "Yorkshire and the Humber are in prime position to benefit from the green economic recovery, with major offshore wind projects generating off our coast and even bigger ones under construction and in planning.

"Nationwide, offshore wind will be generating more than a third of the UK's electricity by the end of this decade in an industry employing tens of thousands of people in highly skilled jobs, with coastal communities set to benefit most.

"The UK is the global leader in offshore wind and we're already exporting our expertise around the world winning multi-million pound contracts.

"We're also speeding up the growth of innovative new technologies like renewable hydrogen - made using electricity generated by offshore wind farms - to provide heat for energy-intensive industries like steel-making.

"Renewable hydrogen can also be used to heat homes and in fuel cells for heavy goods vehicles and shipping. This is important because to meet the Government's target of net zero emissions we need to make much faster progress of decarbonising the transport sector - we'll need to see policies from Government to support this technology.

"There are many opportunities for renewables to lead the UK's green economic recovery after the pandemic, if the right framework from Government is put in place. We should all be pushing for this."

Roger Marsh, who chairs the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and the NP11, which brings together busines leaders from the across the North, said: "The West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the LEP declared a climate emergency in 2019 and have been working together with our partners to establish how we become a net zero carbon city region by 2038, with substantial progress by 2030.

"Tackling the climate emergency opens up significant opportunities for employment growth in our region particularly in the energy sector which although accounts for only one per cent of workforce currently, has the potential to create the high skilled jobs of the future, especially as we recover from the economic impact of COVID-19.

"The Leeds City Region has a high concentration of top quality universities and we have invested more than £79 million in college and higher education facilities to ensure people have the skills needed to take advantage of new careers opening up, especially those in the green economy."

The Government is committed to making the UK have net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the data, published in the LGA’s Local green jobs – accelerating a sustainable economic recovery report, claims that demand for green jobs will rapidly increase as the nation transitions to a net zero economy and will help to counter the unprecedented job losses due to coronavirus which are likely to increase further when furlough ends from October.

It further claims the benefits will be felt nationwide with forecasts for the creation of an estimated 693,628 total low-carbon jobs in England by 2030, rising by a further 488,569 by 2050, taking the total level of jobs to more than 1.18m by 2050.

Yorkshire is also expected to create the greatest number of jobs to construct, install and maintain Carbon Capture and Storage plants, with Selby and Leeds to be the main drivers of this.

The LGA said the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis are likely to be felt in our communities for some time to come and that soaring demand for green jobs will require a diverse range of skills and expertise to roll out clean technologies.

Therefore the LGA is urging Government to improve what it called “unco-ordinated and limited funding streams” by engaging with councils to understand how new funding for skills can be devolved to better meet and respond to local need.