Climate Jobs
Since 2016 Green House has been doing work on estimating the number of jobs that would be created by a transition to a zero-carbon economy; an economy where we take climate change seriously and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in line with the aspiration to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
We first focused on the Isle of Wight, developing a model to estimate the number of jobs that would be created by the transition of key sectors of the economy. The model made use of published data about the number of jobs associated with activities such as insulating homes, or installing renewable energy systems, and data on the Isle of Wight. The report, A Green Transition for the Isle of Wight, by Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims, was published March 2017. You can order a printed copy here.
This was followed by a similar study for a very different area of the UK, the Sheffield City Region. This looked at renewable energy, transport, buildings, farming, forestry and food, and reuse, repair and recycling. Where they can be quantified, the numbers of jobs that would be lost - for example, in coal-fired power stations or the repair of internal-combustion-engine vehicles - were subtracted from the number of jobs created. The report, Job Creation from a Sustainable Transition for Sheffield City Region: How delivering a climate change compatible sub-regional economy will create new enterprises and employment, by Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims was published in May 2018. It estimates that, after subtracting the jobs lost, around 22,000 full time equivalent jobs would be created in the transition phase, with around 18,000 in the longer term (beyond 2030). These estimates are conservative, as data was not available on the numbers of jobs required for all the things we need to do, such as better management of electricity demand, and they do not include ‘multiplier effects’, where the increased spending by those in the new jobs provides more employment in the wider economy. You can order a printed copy of the report here.
Both the Isle of Wight and Sheffield work was part of the Green European Foundation project on Ecological Production in a Post-Growth Society. It was also supported by the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.
In 2018 Green House lead a project for the Green European Foundation (with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation), Strengthening Climate Targets, Creating Local Climate Jobs, working with Green Foundation Ireland and Ecopolis in Hungary. This project has estimated the number of jobs that could be created by more ambitious emissions reduction targets and a local jobs-rich green investment strategy, in local authority areas in the UK, in each region of Hungary and in Ireland. The project has included events in Ireland, Hungary and the UK, and will present its findings at a meeting prior to the COP24 climate summit in Katowice, Poland in December 2018.
We first focused on the Isle of Wight, developing a model to estimate the number of jobs that would be created by the transition of key sectors of the economy. The model made use of published data about the number of jobs associated with activities such as insulating homes, or installing renewable energy systems, and data on the Isle of Wight. The report, A Green Transition for the Isle of Wight, by Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims, was published March 2017. You can order a printed copy here.
This was followed by a similar study for a very different area of the UK, the Sheffield City Region. This looked at renewable energy, transport, buildings, farming, forestry and food, and reuse, repair and recycling. Where they can be quantified, the numbers of jobs that would be lost - for example, in coal-fired power stations or the repair of internal-combustion-engine vehicles - were subtracted from the number of jobs created. The report, Job Creation from a Sustainable Transition for Sheffield City Region: How delivering a climate change compatible sub-regional economy will create new enterprises and employment, by Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims was published in May 2018. It estimates that, after subtracting the jobs lost, around 22,000 full time equivalent jobs would be created in the transition phase, with around 18,000 in the longer term (beyond 2030). These estimates are conservative, as data was not available on the numbers of jobs required for all the things we need to do, such as better management of electricity demand, and they do not include ‘multiplier effects’, where the increased spending by those in the new jobs provides more employment in the wider economy. You can order a printed copy of the report here.
Both the Isle of Wight and Sheffield work was part of the Green European Foundation project on Ecological Production in a Post-Growth Society. It was also supported by the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.
In 2018 Green House lead a project for the Green European Foundation (with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation), Strengthening Climate Targets, Creating Local Climate Jobs, working with Green Foundation Ireland and Ecopolis in Hungary. This project has estimated the number of jobs that could be created by more ambitious emissions reduction targets and a local jobs-rich green investment strategy, in local authority areas in the UK, in each region of Hungary and in Ireland. The project has included events in Ireland, Hungary and the UK, and will present its findings at a meeting prior to the COP24 climate summit in Katowice, Poland in December 2018.
Events
Just Transition, Climate Jobs: Liberty Hall, Dublin, 23 June, 2018 10am- 4pm.
organised by Green Foundation Ireland (GFI), the SIPTU and Dublin Council of Trade Unions.
Facing up to Climate Reality, in Norwich on 29th September 2018
Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims gave a talk about the Climate Jobs project at this Green House/Green European Foundation conference. You can see a video of their talk here.
Climate Jobs in the UK
Bristol City Hall, Friday 5th October
This was a fringe event of the Green Party conference. A revised version of the presentation given by Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims can be downloaded here.
Climate Change in a World of Jobs, Budapest, 16th October 2018
Make Your Business Smarter - Opportunities and Benefits for Businesses from Low Carbon Economy
WWF-UK, The Living Planet Centre, Brewery Road, Woking, GU21 4LL, Wednesday 14 November 2018, 4-7pm. Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims will be talking about Green House's work on Climate Jobs at this Surrey Chambers of Commerce Event. For more information see here.
Towards a New Climate, Katowice, 11th December
There is a session on our Climate Jobs project at this event, which is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of the Polish Green Foundation, Strefa Zieleni.
Just Transition, Climate Jobs: Liberty Hall, Dublin, 23 June, 2018 10am- 4pm.
organised by Green Foundation Ireland (GFI), the SIPTU and Dublin Council of Trade Unions.
Facing up to Climate Reality, in Norwich on 29th September 2018
Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims gave a talk about the Climate Jobs project at this Green House/Green European Foundation conference. You can see a video of their talk here.
Climate Jobs in the UK
Bristol City Hall, Friday 5th October
This was a fringe event of the Green Party conference. A revised version of the presentation given by Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims can be downloaded here.
Climate Change in a World of Jobs, Budapest, 16th October 2018
Make Your Business Smarter - Opportunities and Benefits for Businesses from Low Carbon Economy
WWF-UK, The Living Planet Centre, Brewery Road, Woking, GU21 4LL, Wednesday 14 November 2018, 4-7pm. Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims will be talking about Green House's work on Climate Jobs at this Surrey Chambers of Commerce Event. For more information see here.
Towards a New Climate, Katowice, 11th December
There is a session on our Climate Jobs project at this event, which is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of the Polish Green Foundation, Strefa Zieleni.
Other Publications
Moving Beyond Capital-centered Growth – Planning for Jobs across the UKWritten as part of the Green European Foundation transnational project, “A Green Transformation: Freedom and Security in Uncertain Times”, this pamphlet by Jonathan Essex argues for economic planning in the UK to provide the jobs that we need to ensure a transition to a low-carbon economy, across the UK.
An article about the project, by Anne Chapman, was been published in the autumn 2018 edition of Clean Slate, the magazine of the Centre for Alternative Technology.
Moving Beyond Capital-centered Growth – Planning for Jobs across the UKWritten as part of the Green European Foundation transnational project, “A Green Transformation: Freedom and Security in Uncertain Times”, this pamphlet by Jonathan Essex argues for economic planning in the UK to provide the jobs that we need to ensure a transition to a low-carbon economy, across the UK.
An article about the project, by Anne Chapman, was been published in the autumn 2018 edition of Clean Slate, the magazine of the Centre for Alternative Technology.