Vast upskilling needed to deliver climate ambition

A quarter of workers in the UK’s construction, manufacturing and transportation sectors will require upskilling if the country is to deliver net-zero emissions, suggests a study by the Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN). These workers are likely to see significant changes to their jobs, and will need different skill, but will be in high demand.

The researchers predict that 6.3m jobs will be affected either positively or negatively by the transition; however, the impact will be felt unevenly across the country. Moving to net-zero emissions could help tackle unemployment, but jobs could disappear unless workers are given necessary training.

In response, the PCAN has launched its Just Transition Jobs Tracker, which identifies the sector-by-sector job implications of net zero for more than 200 local authorities, enabling policymakers, businesses and trade unions, civil society and citizens to see how their areas could be impacted.

“The climate crisis presents both opportunities and challenges for the jobs market, and it is vital that we take proactive measures so that these changes help to tackle existing social inequalities, instead of worsening them,” said Andrew Sudmant, PCAN associate from the University of Leeds.

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