Jo Pye: Green Skills

Green Skills, Green Jobs: Opportunities for the South West Low Carbon Economy Jo Pye Senior Researcher Skills and Learning Intelligence Module (SLIM) Marchmont Observatory University of Exeter Graduate School of Education

Benefits of a Green Economy As stated by ARUP in a report commissioned by the South West Regional Development Agency: “ there are compelling reasons and drivers for a green economic recovery. Confronting the mounting energy and climate change crises represents an extraordinary opportunity to reinvigorate the economy through investment in clean, sustainable, low carbon initiatives.”

Drivers towards Green Skills and Jobs
Legislation and standards to reduce carbon emissions (eg environmental audit requirements such as BREEAM)
Public sector investment into, and promotion of, more sustainable technologies, material and ways of living
Organisations adopting environmental policies
Potential market opportunities afforded by renewable energy
Much recent activity in government departments, industry bodies, skills advisors, researchers, environmental agencies and special interest groups

What are Green Jobs?
“ work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development,
administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to
preserving environmental quality … jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water
consumption through high efficiency strategies; de‐carbonize the economy; and minimize … generation of all forms of waste and pollution.”
- United Nations Environment Programme
But others say …
“ there is no accepted definition of what 'green jobs' actually are. The term has variously been used to refer to jobs in environmental services, new renewable energy plant and other low carbon energy sources, production of low carbon or environmentally‐friendly products, installation of energy efficiency measures, environmental consulting and low carbon finance … there is no single, generic 'green' skillset.”
- Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr): Evidence to House of Commons Environmental Audit Inquiry

Selected national policy papers on green skills and employment
Stern Review: the Economics of Climate Change. 2006.
Building a low‐carbon economy: the UK’s contribution to tackling climate change. 2008.
Building a low‐carbon economy: Unlocking innovation and skills. Defra response to CEMEP. 2008.
BERR. Building Britain’s Future: new industries, new jobs. 2009.
BERR/DECC/DIUS. Investing in a low carbon Britain. 2009.
BIS. The Future of EU Competitiveness: from economic recovery to sustainable growth. 2009.
DECC. Strategy for climate and energy. 2009.
DECC. Renewable energy strategy. 2009.

The UK Low Carbon Industrial Strategy
Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services (LCEGS) sector - three key areas of economic activity:
Environmental sector, including energy, carbon and broader environmental consultancy, air pollution control, environmental monitoring and management, marine pollution control, waste management, recovery, recycling.
Renewable energy sector, including wind, wave and tidal, biomass, geothermal, hydro and photovoltaic energy generation and renewables consultancy.
Emerging low carbon sector, including alternative fuels such as nuclear, and alternative fuels for vehicles, carbon capture and storage, building technologies, energy management and carbon finance.

Key industry sectors to drive low carbon innovation
Carbon capture and storage
Offshore wind generation
Marine energy
Nuclear energy
Low carbon vehicles
Other significant growth predicted in:
Renewable sources: solar, biomass, hydrogen, geothermal, hydrogen and fuel cells
Efficient processes: waste management, recovery and recycling
Business sectors: carbon finance, other environmental industries

What are Green Skills?
The Institute for Employment Studies defines these as the following:
energy efficiency jobs in existing production sectors
higher level skills in energy efficient industrial process design
new skills for advanced energy technologies.
Pro Enviro for Defra identified a ‘latent demand’ for Low Carbon and Resource Efficient Economy Skills (LCREE):
“ demand is not currently being articulated by employers and as a result the current skills delivery framework is ill equipped to anticipate and respond. Organisations do not have the right levels of understanding of the skills requirements and implications … and consequently of the importance and potential benefits of integration of LCREE skills into their businesses. “

What are Green Skills?
Pro Enviro green skills checklist:
Design skills : eco-design, green manufacturing and materials
Waste skills : monitoring, process, management, minimisation
Energy skills : management, trading, renewables, optimisation
Water skills : management, re-use and monitoring
Building skills : energy management, energy efficient construction, efficiency and carbon ratings
Transport skills : impact minimisation and management
Materials skills : sourcing, procurement and management
Financial skills : investment, principles and tools
Management : business planning, awareness and assessment
Policy and planning : strategy development and implementation

South West England: the first UK Low Carbon Economic Area
The South West LCEA will develop low carbon economic opportunities in marine energy through:
the creation of new demonstration facilities for wave and tidal power (eg the Wave Hub project in Cornwall);
investment in world class academic and research strengths (eg the PRIMarE marine research institute);
a new network of science parks and businesses;
a new port infrastructure;
and the creation of an industry forum based in the region.

South West Regional Economic Task Group priorities
‘ Green recovery’ should be achieved through a broader response to the recession and a contribution to the low carbon economy:
domestic energy efficiency,
business resource efficiency advice,
financial support for marine technologies,
and the potential of new nuclear energy.

SLIM Workshop: Tess Gill, Sustainable Development Commission
Skills for sustainable development include:
Generic and core STEM skills
Leadership and management
Sustainable procurement
Environmental and risk management
Energy and resource management
Skills development needs to build on existing skills, not starting from scratch
All stakeholders should be involved, with the onus not just on employers and SSCs. Language is important: ‘resource efficiency’ means more than ‘low carbon’ to employers

SLIM Workshop Findings: What skills and jobs will be needed?
Retraining the existing workforce - skills for three groups: managers, specialists and general staff
Green skills should be incorporated into job descriptions as:
Visioning and leadership skills - diagnostic skills, strategic and financial planning, carbon accounting
Communication and people skills: negotiation and engagement
STEM skills: filling existing gaps; both generic and for specific technologies
General sustainability skills; environmentally responsible practice throughout the workforce

SLIM Workshop Findings: Issues for employers
Target skills needs to each organisation and its operating environment. Define good practice in green skills, to enable employers to identify staff skills gaps
Communication and language are important: be clear about carbon from a business perspective
Green skills must be made relevant and attractive to SMEs, for business and/or financial advantage
Use supply chain and business mentoring as mechanisms
Public sector should ‘share the risk’ and lead with investment in low carbon literacy and procurement. Government and others should drive consumer demand

SLIM Workshop Findings: Cultural issues
Three poles: legislation, market pressures and public support
Availability of information, advice and guidance is key
Intermediaries are able to promote delivery and incorporate existing skillsets like leadership and management. Green champions should be used, such as green union reps
The drive for change needs to make full use of early adopters, exemplars and advocates
Raising demand for green skills necessitates changing minds – closing the gap between acceptance of environmental issues and recognition of the real situation.

SLIM Workshop Findings: How to initiate green jobs?
ESF, regional strategies, links to regional and mainstream funding
Support partnership development, the supply chain and employer collaboration, which could be used to develop alternative business models:
leasing instead of buying;
sharing capacity and resources;
repairing rather than replacing equipment.
Public sector leadership through policy clarity and spreading the risk of investment
Transformational issues/thinking for employers
Link funding to collaborative work and local / regional impact on priorities.

SLIM Workshop Findings: Delivering green skills
Improve linkages with existing funding and projects to highlight current good practice: Convergence/Competitiveness
Build on LESBs and other existing partnerships
Require employer input for curriculum design and delivery eg via SSC kitemarks; opportunities through Sector Skills Academies
Engage employers through clusters and supply change and organisations like FSB / Chambers
Join up accredited training for renewable energy technologies
Share theoretical and practical expertise between higher and further education experts, drawing on successful business models and mechanisms for dissemination
Align academic and professional qualifications and ensure industry accredited courses can be delivered.

Further reading
DECC: Investing in a Low Carbon Britain
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/090423_low_car/090423_low_car.aspx
LSC: Skills for a Sustainable Low Carbon and Resource Efficient Economy
http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/Skills_for_Sustainable_Economy.pdf
How to Green your workplace, a TUC Guide
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/G201207.pdf
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan: National Strategy for Climate and Energy
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/publications/lc_trans_plan/lc_trans_plan.aspx
New Industry, New Jobs. http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file51023.pdf
Green Jobs: Towards decent work in a sustainable, low‐carbon world.
http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/PDFs/Greenjobs/UNEP-Green-Jobs-Report.pdf )
The UK Renewable Energy Strategy.
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/publications/lc_trans_plan/lc_trans_plan.aspx

Skills and Learning Intelligence Module
www.swslim.org.uk
Helpdesk: 01392 264850

Jo Pye: Green Skills

by South West Observatory on Feb 24, 2010

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