Green job creation in Scotland

Scotland needs a fundamentally different approach to maximise green job creation, with hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake, the Scottish TUC (STUC) has warned.

A report by the union body finds that if the government implements the right policies, up to 367,000 green jobs could be created in the transition to a low-carbon economy. But Green jobs in Scotland says that without the right policies, job creation will be less than 131,000.

The study highlights that employment in Scotland’s low-carbon economy has fallen in the last five years, suggesting a fundamentally different approach is needed if the higher figure is to be met.

The report looks at how energy, buildings, transport, manufacturing, waste, agriculture and land-use need to be decarbonised, and sets out how Scotland can maximise green job creation, as well as fair work and effective worker voice in these jobs. And it calls for an active industrial strategy, far greater levels of public ownership and significant public investment.

Among its specific recommendations are a street-by-street programme of energy efficiency upgrades; a national energy company that builds and generates renewables; and much greater investment in local authority bus services.

STUC general secretary, Rozanne Foyer, said: “This research highlights that it is not too late for Scotland to create significant numbers of green jobs, but only if we take a fundamentally different approach.”

http://www.stuc.org.uk/files/Policy/STUC_Green_Jobs.pdf