Employment: Environment Protection

(asked on 24th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) is planning to have with Ministerial colleagues in the (i) Department for Education and (ii) Department for Work and Pensions to support people with skills and training for employment in the green economy in (A) Leicestershire and (B) the UK.


Answered by
Anne-Marie Trevelyan Portrait
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 2nd July 2021

The Climate Action Strategy Committee, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and the Climate Action Implementation Committee provide two important ministerial forums for discussion on climate, including skills and training for the green economy.

We are determined to seize the once-in-a-generation economic opportunities of the net zero transition by creating new business opportunities and, by one estimate, supporting up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK. For example, the policies set out in the Ten Point Plan, support 90,000 green collar jobs across the UK by 2024, and up to 250,000 by 2030.

In order to ensure we have the skilled workforce to deliver net zero and our Ten Point Plan, my Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills and I convened the Green Jobs Taskforce, to help us develop plans for new long-term good quality, green jobs by 2030 and advise what support is needed for people in transitioning industries. The Taskforce is currently preparing its report and independent recommendations for the Government, industry and the skills sector, which will feed into the development of our Net Zero Strategy to be published later in the year.

In Leicester and the surrounding area, Leicester and Leicestershire’s Growth Hub (Biz Gateway) is working to support businesses to become greener through workshops, including sustainable packaging, renewable energy and behavioural change. For instance, green recovery is one of four key priorities running through the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Skills Report.

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