Key Sentence:
- Up to 660,000 jobs could be at risk if Britain doesn’t hit zero as fast as other countries, warned the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
- However, TUC is concerned that many jobs could be moved to countries with excellent green infrastructure and support for decarbonization.
Unions are calling for an £85 billion stimulus package to create 1.2 million green jobs. The June TUC poll showed that the UK currently ranks second among the G7 economies due to its green infrastructure and jobs investment. However, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) claims that TUC’s claims are false and do not acknowledge its methodology.
The government is currently considering recommendations from an independent report on the future of green jobs, and BEIS spokesperson said.
“In recent months, we have secured record investments in wind energy. Released a leading global hydrogen strategy, pledged £1 billion in funding to support the development of carbon sequestration, and launched an extraordinary North Sea transition agreement – the first G-7 nation. “This will protect the environment, generate huge investments and create and sustain thousands of jobs,” he added.
TUC says jobs in the steel industry are a significant risk because the production process relies on burning coal at high temperatures. Other countries, such as Sweden, have introduced new technologies that allow steel production without coal.
In August, Hybrit, a joint venture between Swedish companies SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall. Delivered the first batch of green steel made with hydrogen from renewable water electrolysis. Another company, H2 Green Steel, plans to open a hydrogen plant by 2024.
SSAB has teamed up with Mercedes-Benz to introduce fossil-free steel into vehicle production as soon as possible. The German automaker wants to make its entire fleet across the supply chain climate neutral by 2039.
TUC’s analysis shows that at-risk occupations include:
- 26,900 jobs in iron and steel
- 41,000 jobs in glass and ceramics
- 63,200 jobs in chemistry
- 18,000 jobs in the textile industry
- 79,000 jobs in rubber and plastics
- 15,500 jobs in paper, pulp, and printing
- 7800 jobs in refinery
- 7400 jobs in wood products
- 900 jobs in cement and lime
- Currently, France accounts for a quarter of UK investment in green recovery, Canada for a fifth, and the United States at 6%.
TUC Secretary General Francis O’Grady said the clock was running for Britain. “Thatcher has devastated Britain’s industrial centers with the loss of industry and jobs. However, Boris Johnson is on the verge of doing much more than that. He said Britain could risk losing hundreds of thousands of jobs to competing countries if the government did not step up investment in green technology and industries soon.
Industry association CBI agrees that the UK has made “excellent progress” in reducing emissions from the energy sector. “Now is the time to support this progress with concrete actions and programs,” said Tom Takrey, director of decarbonization at CB Taberray. CBI analysis shows that spending in areas such as electric vehicles and energy efficiency could create 250,000 new jobs by 2030. But the opportunities to do this are getting smaller every day.”