Government must ‘work night and day’ so UK doesn’t lose out on green jobs to other countries
There is a critical five-year window to attract businesses in green sectors such as renewable energy and electrical cars to set up factories in Red Wall areas, a report has claimed.
Think tank Onward said the government has a short timeframe to bring green jobs to parts of the Midlands and the North being targeted by ministers’ ‘levelling up’ agenda.
Without action to entice companies such as wind turbine and EV battery makers, these areas could miss out as green firms head to the USA and Asia instead.
In a new report – titled Green Jobs, Red Wall – the group states there are nearly 250,000 jobs at risk in carbon-intensive sectors in areas such as Hartlepool, Scunthorpe and Redcar.
Some 24 Conservative MPs backed incentives such as slashing business rates, cash incentives and discounts on energy packages to boost competition in these areas.
The report advocates that the government should offer cheaper energy prices for certain sectors, in a bid to price-match what is on offer in France and Germany.
It also suggests slashing business rates for firms investing in green factories in areas that the think tank describes as “already left behind.”
The UK should also follow in the footsteps of the US and the EU by offering cash incentives for firms to set up battery ‘gigafactories’.
“The green industrial revolution is a big risk for UK factories that make cars and steel, and for workers in the UK’s oil and gas industry,” Ed Birkett, head of energy and climate at Onward, said.
“The government must work night and day to secure the green factories of the future, or there’s a risk that we’ll lose industrial jobs forever.”