In this latest blog in our content series devoted to the environment and upcoming COP26 event in Glasgow, Harriet Lamb, CEO at Ashden Climate Solutions, talks us through the amazing impact that charities are having, and can continue to have, on the green economy and green jobs revolution.

Green jobs in the UK – a supply and demand issue

As every charity manager knows, having set your ambitious strategic goals, you then develop the detailed budgets and plans to deliver them, including ensuring you have the people with the right skills and training. As companies do, so must the country. The UK can only meet our commitment to become net zero carbon by 2050 if we support green skills and training, developing the workforce that can repair electric cars, install heat pumps and solar panels, or plant more trees. Yet boosting green skills and training are the missing bricks in the wall of Build Back Better.

Home truths: housing upgrade challenge shows scale of green skills crisis

For example, we need to upgrade tens of millions of the UK’s old and cold homes. The New Economics Foundation predicts we will need 36,000 trained retrofit co-ordinators to get the job done – yet we only have 2% of that number.

Heating is another hot topic, central to cutting our carbon. The government expects the country to be installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. But today there are only 750 accredited heat pump installers in the UK, compared to 96,000 installers of gas boilers and other fossil fuel systems. These gaping skills shortages are one reason that the Government’s Green Homes Grants were unceremoniously scrapped so soon after being set-up: home-owners simply couldn’t find the people to do the work. But companies and Further Education Colleges will only train the staff and invest in green apprenticeships or training courses if they are confident of a long term, stable Government policy – which is why currently less than 10 out of our 192 FE colleges deliver training in renewable energy.

Green skills trailblazers are already taking action

As so often, UK’s charities and social enterprises are showing the way with proven solutions that can tackle the twin crises of climate and inequality. Raleigh International’s Action Not Excuses campaign aims to help 50,000 young people create or access new green jobs, helping young entrepreneurs to start eco-positive businesses and workers to adapt to changing industries.

Manchester-based co-operative, Carbon Co-op, offer training and retraining sessions to help tradespeople get to grips with the demands of retrofitting our homes, while north of the border Warmworks has been tackling fuel poverty by upgrading homes while creating 137 apprenticeships and 2,500 training opportunities, including linking up with a children’s charity to encourage people from all backgrounds to find jobs in the retrofit industry.

In London, Repowering, a social enterprise with a proud track record of engaging low income and Black and Minority Ethnic communities, has joined forces with the borough of Kensington and Chelsea to install income-generating solar panels on community buildings, providing young people with training and paid work experience.

With concern about the climate emergency driving young people into action, hundreds of schools are joining the Let’s Go Zero campaign, which we at Ashden are proud to coordinate. Schools commit to reach zero carbon by 2030 by taking action now – such as by greening the playground or reducing meat in school meals – while also calling for the Government policies and funding support they need. Alongside investment in improving school buildings (which will also of course create jobs), policy demands focus on transforming the curriculum to include climate change, training teachers in sustainability, and having careers advisors fully informed about the green jobs available.

How organisations can practically address green skills gaps, recruitment to them and the environment?

This is not just about charities focused on skills and employment – so many organisations build skills, including through volunteering opportunities. Nor is it just about the obvious green jobs – everything from marketing and customer support to IT can support the UK’s low-carbon transition. At its simplest, all jobs will have to be greened. For example, a charity focused on providing care, can ensure their teams are using Electric Vehicles or even cycling if possible.

Research shows only 7% of people in the UK associate climate action with jobs. That’s a statistic we need to change as people will support climate action if they see positive benefits for themselves and the wider economy. The International Labour Organization’s Decent Jobs for Youth programme has projected that greening the world economy could result in 60 million new jobs by 2030. Charities and social enterprises can help grasp these opportunities, creating positive impact for the planet and for people, and pushing companies and the Government to step up the pace. With less than 50 days to COP26, now is the time for detailed, ambitions plans including ensuring we have the people trained to make the shift to zero carbon.