U.K. Aims for a Million Green Collar Workers
The number of people working in the environmental sector is expected to top 1 million within the next 20 years -- more than double today's figure of 400,000.
The number of people working in the environmental sector is
expected to top 1 million within the next 20 years -- more than
double today's figure of 400,000.
British Minister for Europe Jim Murphy gave the environmental
industries a pep talk as he and his French counterpart Jean-Pierre
Jouyet hosted a meeting this week to look at how an sustainable future
could go hand-in-hand with economic growth.
At Towards a Green Collar Europe: Jobs and growth in a low-carbon economy, the Ministers invited repsresentatives from business, the public sector
and trade unions to consider how Europe can keep the global lead on
environmental action while boosting employment and remaining
competitive.
"Countries that take early action in developing green technology will have a competitive advantage as this boom industry grows in the future," Jim Murphy said. "The [British] Government is committed to making sure the UK is ahead of the pack -- in the future we want an economy offering a mix of good blue collar jobs, good white collar jobs and good green collar jobs. Our aim is to have over a million UK workers in environmental industries within the next two decades."
He said the economic case for an urgent shift to low carbon is
compelling, citing the Stern Review which 'found that climate change
will be more devastating than both of the World Wars and the Great
Depression' and inaction was not an option.
Mr. Murphy said he did not want to see the UK trailing behind its European partners.
"Renewable energy programs in Germany and Spain are just 10 years
old but have already created hundreds of thousands of jobs. Germany is
known for car giants like BMW, Mercedes and VW -- but by 2020, it will
have more jobs in the field of environmental technologies than in its
entire car industry. We need to match and exceed their efforts," Mr. Murphy said.
"The environment in general and climate change in particular demand
effective international -- and not just national -- action, because
pollution does not respect borders.
"As the world's largest trading bloc and a unique example of
countries working closely together, the EU is ideally placed to promote
green jobs and growth."