The growth in clean energy has opened up new economic opportunities in the UK. In 2020, more than 200,000 people were employed in the UK’s low carbon and renewable energy economy, which had a turnover of £41.2bn. A further 400,000 jobs are estimated over the next 25 years, which will be spread across the UK. The offshore wind sector alone currently invests around £10bn into the UK economy each year, supporting 31,000 jobs, which is expected to rise to 97,000 jobs by 2030 with £17bn a year of investment. The number of jobs being created in the UK renewable energy industry is growing four times faster than the overall UK employment market. However, research has shown that more than one-third of the roles are based in London and the South East.
The phase-out of fossil fuel industries must be accompanied by opportunities for those who work in the sector to make the transition to renewables. It is estimated the UK is facing an estimated shortfall of 330,000 workers in the renewables sector and must accelerate the development of the workforce to meet the needs of our changing energy environment and to ensure we are not faced with a situation whereby thousands are left out of work through reduction of oil and gas industries at the same time as gaps in skills needed for renewables.
The transition away from oil and gas must protect workers, the community and the climate. Oil and gas workers in the North Sea have called for a number of actions to support them as part of a just transition. This includes removing barriers that make it more difficult for them to move into the renewable industry, ensuring safety, job security and fair pay, and sharing the benefits of our energy system fairly with public investment in energy companies and communities.