The UK government’s green jobs and investment plans lag far behind most G7 countries, according to a report by the TUC.
The analysis shows the government’s Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution is just a fraction of the investment pledged by France, Canada, Italy, Germany and USA – with only Japan scoring worse.
The union body says the report reveals the potential to do much more to expand green jobs and meet vital climate commitments.
The TUC is calling on government to seize the G7 opportunity by allocating £85 billion for emergency green infrastructure.
The commitment would move the UK up into third position in the G7 league table, creating a million quality green jobs and demonstrating real climate leadership, says the union body.
The report supports previous research showing that with extra recovery investment the government could create 1.24 million green jobs in the immediate term, while retooling and decarbonising workplaces to defend existing jobs.
UK lagging far behind G7 peers in climate action and green job creation
The TUC report shows:
Table 1: G7 Ranked by total of green recovery investment
Country |
Total Investment in green recovery (£ billion) |
USA |
971.75 |
Italy |
83.87 |
Germany |
49.39 |
France |
47.70 |
Canada |
32.55 |
Japan |
13.62 |
UK |
12.13 |
Table 2: G7 countries ranked by level of green recovery investment per person
Country |
Investment Level per person (£ per person) |
UK investment as % of other G7 green recovery plans |
USA |
2,961 |
6.1% |
Italy |
1,389 |
13.1% |
Canada |
866 |
21.0% |
France |
711 |
25.6% |
Germany |
595 |
30.6% |
UK |
182 |
100.0% |
Japan |
108 |
168.7% |
Building back better
The TUC says the UK’s green job creation will prove vital as we begin to build back after the pandemic.
If the Treasury scaled up its green recovery to match other G7 countries’ spend per person, this would kickstart the UK economy, build more competitive domestic industries and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs, the union body says.
The analysis shows:
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:
“Good green jobs should be at the heart of our economic recovery from the pandemic. But the prime minister’s plans are nowhere near ambitious enough.
“The government should look to the rest of the G7, and put more money into green jobs and infrastructure. It’s a chance to replace the jobs lost in the pandemic and level up the UK.
“Every area needs good green jobs, close to home. We can revitalise towns and communities that have lost traditional industries, and make better jobs available to the millions in insecure jobs on poverty pay.
“The UK is falling well behind the rest of the G7 in the race to benefit from net zero industry.
“Seizing the G7 moment by allocating £85 billion for emergency green infrastructure and the one million good green jobs that come with it would show real leadership when the country needs it most.”
-The TUC’s report on green recovery plans and jobs can be found here: www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-05/TUC%20G7%20Green%20Recovery%20Ranking%20report.pdf
-The report compares G7 nation investment plans for green jobs and infrastructure. It uses: their respective government budget announcements; EU countries’ plans submitted to Next Generation EU fund (landmark EU recovery scheme); and analysis of other government announcements by Carbon Brief.
-The TUC commissioned Transition Economics to identify the potential for green infrastructure projects, finding that an £85 billion programme of public investment could create 1.24 million jobs (https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/TUC%20Jobs%20Recovery%20Plan_2020-06-17_proofed.pdf). A report produced by the We Mean Business coalition and Cambridge Econometrics found that government recovery plans that focused on green infrastructure measures resulted in significantly greater jobs and GDP growth both in the long and short terms. Further analysis commissioned or conducted by IPPR, the Local Government Association and the Grantham Research Institute made similar findings.
- The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together more than 5.5 million working people who make up our 49 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.
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