What are ‘green skills’ and does the UK need to ramp them up?

The UK needs to ramp up its green skills training or risk falling behind in the green transition, according to fresh research, but there is also caution over so-called ‘green skills washing’.

The rallying call was made following new research from Economist Impact and electricity company Iberdrola, which finds that a large proportion of the UK workforce is being left without “crucial training” in the skills needed for a green economy.

But a big part of the problem, is that the phrase is often bandied around when referring to net zero, but some people and businesses remain unaware of what exactly green skills are, nor why they are important, especially when profits and margins are a much bigger concern in the current economic climate.

According to the government, a green job is one that helps with “preserving or restoring the environment“, but of course, UK standards may not be universal. And the wide scope for a green job, means it can be used by companies to say they are doing something, even if they aren’t.

Regardless, experts have warned companies have to start adapting soon, or they may be left behind.

“The opportunities presented by the transition are vast, but it’s critical that both businesses and policymakers are sharply focused now on ensuring people are equipped with the right skills and training,” Ignacio Galán, Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman, said. “Without skilled workers, the transition will not be delivered.”

“Every company in every sector is fully aware that change is coming fast… the energy sector also [has] much more to do, and we’re not standing still,” Galán added.

“The reality is that it’s in early stages,” IEMA deputy CEO Martin Baxter said, adding that companies are only just developing their thinking and implementing plans.

“Not enough companies have got a net zero transition plan in place and where they are developing the net zero transition plans, they haven’t yet fully developed workforce transition plans to be able to support that. The next stage is companies starting to develop workforce transition plans in order to build this capability in their organizations,” Baxter said.

According to the Economist Impact’s research, 71 per cent of business leaders agree that green skills are needed to drive the energy transition, while only 51 per cent are implementing or planning to implement green skills programmes for their workers.

Alongside specialist roles, companies are looking for soft skills like environmental awareness, innovation and creativity and teamwork, according to Economist Impact’s research.  

“The biggest barrier is inertia. It is about getting things to change for businesses quickly enough to deliver the outcomes we need,” head of green analytics at Macquarie, Adrian Barnes, said in a report by Deloitte and the IEMA.

When asked about the difference between companies’ actions and rhetoric, Baxter replies “the phrase green skills washing comes to mind.”

Education, education, education

No, Tony Blair isn’t taking on a green job. The top three policies that business leaders surveyed by the Economist Impact’s research want to prioritise are skills courses at schools and universities, business investment in up-skilling and adaption of current training programmes to make them ‘greener’.

Baxter mentions that whilst there are a number of factors which hold back the energy transition, the need the upskill the current workforce through programs at schools, colleges and universities is crucial. Not all organisations have the capacity or skills to move as quickly as they’d like to, he added, and having young people entering the workforce already well-equipped to face the green transition is key.  

“Typically, our education system and schools and universities [are] often focused on knowledge acquisition and less about the practical skills to deliver change… we need to build both,” Baxter said, adding that educational programmes are able to deliver both hard and soft green skills.

The IEMA is currently working with Pearson Edexcel to support students undertaking an Extended Project Qualification in Sustainability & Climate Change to help them develop specialist green skills and soft skills.

Educational change requires a “collaborative effort” between the government and the private sector, Senior Manager and the Green Skills Outlook Programme Lead at Economist Impact Matus Samel said. Restoring faith in the energy transition will require “significant effort” from the government and from businesses, he added.

The UK Government’s Green Jobs Delivery Group will publish its action plan on green skills in the first half of 2024.