The Green Edge Reports Roundup, Apr-24: Part One - General
Continuing with our selection of reports and other publications from this month’s reading list.
Again this month, we’re splitting our reading list into two posts. This one covers general categories. For Sectors, see Part Two.
As usual, you can find all these reports and more in our searchable reports list on The Green Edge Data Portal.
֎ Reports we feel are particularly worth a look.
Skills
֎Rethinking engineering and technology skills for a world in which both people and planet can thrive
National Engineering Policy Centre and Royal Academy of Engineering, February 2024.
The ‘Engineers 2030’ project identifies how engineering knowledge, skills and behaviours are changing in the 21st century and what is needed to attract, recruit, educate, and support the engineers and technicians of the future. This is an important project which is building on the work of Engineers Without Borders, and is a forum for the whole engineering community to look afresh at how to change the perception of engineers and engineering alongside their skills, behaviour, and attitudes. Engineering is a set of occupations and skills that are crucial to the net zero transition, and so this project is one we will be following closely. It is also worth reading the consultation document which covers the vision and principles (March 2024).
Engineers 2030: Redefining the engineer of the 21st century. Future skills needs – a review of the literature
Royal Academy of Engineering, March 2024.
We certainly agree with the two broad “new” skills areas for engineers: digitalisation and data; and sustainability. We also find the split of the future skills useful: skills for growth (digital and data, and technical) and skills for navigating the operating environment (external and internal). Green skills are captured in the ‘external’ category. It is also worth noting the links being made between Engineers 2030 with HVM Catapult and Engineers Without Borders as being good signs for the future of understanding emerging and future skills. It would be good if other stakeholders e.g. qualification, awarding and standards bodies could make use of the outputs of this project.
Engineers 2030: A vision of success. Report of the visioning workshops
Waverley Consultants for the Royal Academy of Engineering, March 2024.
Looking at the workings and thinking process behind where next is helpful in understanding how a set of critical occupations are changing and need to change further. Two items in this report we found particular useful are the four personal stories, and the timeline over which the vision can be realised in schools, FE, HE and workplaces. The question we are left with after reading the report is very simple: are the timelines quick enough given the pressures on across the economy to delivery the net zero transition?
֎Design Economy. Green Design Skills Gap. Insights into the scale and skills of environmental design in the UK
Design Council, April 2024.
Great progress is being made with a large proportion of designers already designing for environmental impact, and that design is a core tool for the green economy. This initial report does however show significant capability and skills gaps, and the upskilling challenge. We see design as one of the foundation occupations for the net zero transition and development of the circular economy and one that is critical to delivering net zero through its everyday actions and projects.
֎Green jobs and skills postings
GLA London Datastore, February 2024 (updated)
Excellence resource tracking developments since 2015 looking at both green skills and green jobs titles. It would be good to have this type of resource for all regions/cities of the UK. It is driven using Lightcast data, and would benefit from adding other data, say, from Data City.
Sustainability Survey Research Report: January to February 2024
Local Government Association, March 2024.
Two tables struck us in this report: Table 4 which lists out areas of need, and Table 6 which picks up on expertise, skilling, and upskilling in sustainability work. A really helpful survey and a good way to track progress.
From ‘greenovators’ to ‘green’ minds: key occupations for the green transition
Cedefop, November 2023.
Useful briefing note and worth reading if only looking at Figure 2 that covers the five main categories of green jobs key for the transition: green frontline, green specialists, green management, green hearts and minds, and green digital specialists.
From linear thinking to green growth mindsets
Cedefop, May 2023.
A useful reminder of the importance of shifting mindset, skill set and practice to support our move towards a circular economy. We also see here the rate of progress across EU countries, with Holland being in the leading position.
Future skills projections and analysis: Research Report
Department for Education, April 2024.
Any national or local skills system needs a robust and up-to-date view of the future and detailed insight into what skills are needed in the near and longer term. This report seeks to look at various studies across the world in an attempt to help improve what currently happens across the UK. We are pleased to see the work of the Catapult network being used here as they are filling the void, but misses out on the learning from Singapore, the work of the professional bodies, the several key commercial data providers (e.g. Lightcast, Data City), and also the creative use of O*NET data to look at detailed changes over time by using the multiple releases of the dataset which allows picking-up on new task/skill entry and the notion of the half life of skills.
STEM skills in Scotland: Part 1 - Scotland’s future STEM workforce.
Enginuity, April 2024.
This is part of a three-phase study and will look out to 2035. Our interest is in the overall trend and the challenge to attract students from school into apprenticeships, and into HE engineering-related programmes as many of these skills underpin the transition to net zero. The message is stark: competition for young people is great and needs a redoubling of efforts alongside a major re-skilling programme. Often, the shift to clean tech and net zero technologies sees a change in business models e.g. to product-as-a-service, pulling engineering skills increasingly into new sectors. The forthcoming Net Zero Workforce Plan by the Green Jobs Delivery Group will need to address the issues raised by this study.
Labour Market
֎Review of the teaching of sustainability in UK engineering higher education
UCL Centre for Engineering Education for the Royal Academy of Engineering, March 2024.
While nine case studies are presented of best practice, the overall message here is that progress is being made but there is a long way to go. It would be good to combine the work reported on here for HE with the annual review undertaken by the DfE of their sustainability strategy across England. Without having a changing and adapting education system we will not deliver on the net zero transition and its goals.
֎Circular jobs can boost a just transition in Europe
Circle Economy Foundation and Deloitte, April 2024.
While this has been written as a policy brief linked to the elections across the EU, it makes a very valid point for us around skill shifts. Much of the attention on green skills are on short term ones required for infrastructure changes (heat pumps, EV chargers, solar panels etc.). But, there is a much larger skills gap emerging around the move to a circular economy and how that shift creates new skills and new jobs based on the core elements of the circular economy: regenerative resources, stretch the lifetime of resources/assets, and see waste as a resource.
Work-based learning and the green transition
Cedefop, 2022.
Useful definitions and key enablers to make progress by minimising disruption and maximising opportunities.
Education, opportunity and the future of work in the fourth industrial revolution
British Journal of Sociology of Education, April 2024.
This is an important paper by Phillip Brown (Cardiff University) which makes the case that the impact of AI will have a profound impact on a range of jobs and occupations. Begs questions for the career support and re-skilling of large numbers of people over the next decade. One of the target set of occupations of those impacted by AI could move towards are those supporting the transition to net zero.
Opportunity England. 100% opportunity: the case for a tertiary education system
Association of Colleges, April 2024.
There is no question that England needs an effective, efficient and fair skills system which works to high standards and makes use of FE colleges, and this paper describes a set of workable actions and solutions. The link here takes us to the report and an excellent short video summary. We would agree with the core thesis presented here, but suggest that any skills system needs to work across the whole of the UK. Pulling together all local plans is currently done (to some extent) by the DfE’s Unit for Future Skills and this report proposes it integrates local plans with national ones e.g. the Green Jobs Delivery Group’s Net Zero Workforce Plan along with the one for the NHS, for Education (particular at schools’ level), etc. alongside input on migration.
Advancing British Standards? Exploring public attitudes towards a baccalaureate-style 16-18 education system
Edge Foundation, April 2024.
Basic message; there must be a better way to combine academic with vocational, life and practical skills development. It will be interesting to see if a combined qualification for 16-18 year-olds gathers political support over the coming months. The common complaint and observation, noted here, is that the current qualifications and approach to 16-18 education is not working well.
Skilled worker visas for refugees: An evaluation of the UK’s Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot (DTMP)
Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, April 2024.
With the pressures on the UK labour market growing, it is important to be able to access other sources of talent to support the transition to net zero. This report covers one possible source,
Solving the UK’s skills shortage: How a national skilling wage would future proof our economy
New Economics Foundation, March 2024.
There’s a major challenge to greatly reduce skills shortages across the UK: the report notes 531,000 skills shortage vacancies and 254,000 work visas (non-EU) being issued in recent times (2022). One of the driving forces behind the need to boost reskilling and upskilling is the transition to a net zero economy. The novel proposal described here is worth considering further and building as revised lifelong learning set of policies are developed.
The status of the transition to green and fair economies: 2024. Tracking global trends towards a better future
Green Economy Coalition, March 2024.
A useful view across the world with a tracker facility allowing us to drop down to individual countries. The UK does not do too well. It is also a good reminder that we need to see progress across all countries across all areas.
Investigating the impact of the apprenticeship levy on training outcomes
London Economics for the Association of Colleges, January 2024.
Having a vibrant and effective, inclusive apprenticeship system is important both in terms of equity and developing the pool of skilled people to enter careers that support the whole economy, and particularly the green economy. There are clearly weaknesses in the current system for younger entrants (under 19, and 19-24), L2 apprenticeships, and, perhaps, too much growth of degree apprenticeships.
The True Impact of UK Manufacturing
Oxford Economics for the Manufacturing Technologies Association, April 2024.
Undertakes an impact analysis of manufacturing at three levels: direct, indirect, and induced. What would be really helpful if other aspects of “impact” were considered e.g. the impact of UK manufacturing on achieving net zero targets, or the scale of “green” manufacturing. Perhaps in the next edition?
Climate solutions at work: Unleashing your employee power
Project Drawdown, September 2021.
While a few years old, this is a great ‘climate literacy’ resource which supports education, awareness, and action. We could see this resource being used in staff induction programmes or as a part of any formal programme e.g. apprenticeship.
Corporate Ozempic
Professor Scott Galloway, February 2024.
This is an excellent insight into the impact of AI upon work and the displacement of work in large volumes. Uses evidence from the large range of high-tech businesses shedding workers as they apply greater and greater amounts of AI.
Learning for Careers: What kind of career guidance and career education services do young people want in Europe and Central Asia?
ETF and UNICEF, March 2024.
Not focused on green careers or sustainability, but makes a series of recommendations around improving the careers support and services which, if taken up, would help in matching individuals to new and emerging career opportunities.
Levelling-up & Regional Development
֎Pioneering a Net Zero Future
Net Zero North West, March 2024.
This is a manifesto (the third we have seen from the North-West) with the bold aim of becoming the world’s first net zero industrial region, stating that the prize is clear: £30bn investment in the short term (£207bn in the future) and the generation and safeguarding of 34,500 green jobs (and 660,000 in the future). The manifesto picks out five areas: energy efficiency, energy generation, investment, innovation, and skills and the supply chain where it picks out six skills areas. We find these statements of intent and policy very informative as they represent the culmination of many years of planning and research, and the co-ordination of effort and setting of priorities across a whole region. Plans like this can be built upon at national level and boost progress towards net zero and regenerate a region and its cities.
֎Planning for Sustainable Jobs 101: A how-to guide for groups leading and supporting green labour and skills transitions
PLACE Centre, Smart Prosperity Institute, March 2024.
A practical guide on how groups leading a green skills transition (regional or sector) should undertake their work. Takes us through a six-step process. While the guide is written by a Canadian group, it is applicable elsewhere and draws on international materials.
֎Newham Council connects climate and social justice in the UK’s first local authority Just Transition Plan
UK100 and London Borough of Newham, March 2024.
Increasingly we are seeing local authorities seeking to engage with the communities, and ensuring that all residents and their livelihoods are considered when setting local policies. They use the 3-6-5 framework (3 principles; 6 futures; 5 enablers) which is one that can be used by others. For us, documents like this show the need for local capacity and experience to make sure whole communities move forward and no one is left behind. If you want to learn more, this plan for Newham built on the wider work of the London Sustainable Development Commission London's just transition (June 2023).
Zero In: Accelerating local climate action
Mission Zero Coalition (MZC) and UK100, April 2024.
A clear message: local has a critical role in developing and delivering climate action. We can see this report building on previous ones from MZC and UK100 e.g. UK100 did a series of status reports back in 2022 across waste, transport, heat and buildings, energy, finance, local powers, nature and clean air. We also have the Climate Council Scorecard and 3Ci's finance materials which provide further evidence of progress and impact where there is a clear vision, strategic, plan and actions programme, and investment and employment levels are to be found in The UK's Net Zero Economy – all these sources need bringing together to help LAs with their planning. Skills fit in here around the devolution deals that are being struck to gain access and responsibility for adult education budgets. Our concern is the link between local and national approaches on skills, and on priorities. Hopefully the new framework to renew the contract between local and national will help resolve these issues.
Opportunity England: Local Skills Improvement Plans
Association of Colleges, April 2024.
Calls for - and we would agree - much greater alignment and connection between LSIPs and all other local and national plans. A call out is also made for better data. Our view is the data side could be easily solved by combining readily available data sets from ONS, Data City, Lightcast, and others into one useful dashboard perhaps learning from the Singapore approach.
State of the Coalfields 2024
Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University for the Coalfield Regeneration Trust, April 2024.
Shows the challenge of levelling-up. This report is coming out 40 years after the miners’ strike, just before mines closed one by one over a short period. The simple message here is job opportunities are totally lacking both in number and in quality. From a green perspective, the challenge is around ensuring fair and equitable access to green jobs across the whole country, and to be inclusive of all places.
Economic opportunities in Scotland’s net zero and climate adaptation economy
Ramboll and Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde, March 2024.
Key message: aggregate and align activities, and pool demand and share the risk. Workforce aspects are covered (very briefly on page 10) but does correctly recognise the challenge of linking the shifts in the demand for skilled staff between legacy sectors and the emerging ones.
Clean energy is boosting economic growth
International Energy Agency, April 2024.
We include this article here because clean energy accounted for 10% of global GDP growth in 2023 and we have included the various plans and manifestos that are also pickin -up on growth driven by clean tech and the whole transition to net zero.
Climate Actions: International learnings on the governance of national and local government collaboration
Local Government Association, March 2024.
Looks at the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea and the USA. Two messages for us: the need for the integrator role at local level (with capacity and capability), and making the local role very explicit.
Solent Local Skills Improvement Plan (Solent LSIP): Appendices
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, August 2023.
Within this lengthy appendix there is a deep dive into green skills which provides a useful insight into the local economy and its development (worth remembering that the area includes one of the major clusters for significant industrial decarbonisation using CCUS). The LSIP itself is also worth seeing too and needs to read alongside the more recent cluster report. Note this cluster is not a part of Track 1 nor Track 2 as regards the Cluster/CCUS projects in the other five areas of the UK (Grangemouth, Merseyside, South Wales, Teesside and Humberside). It is clear than the transition to net zero is driving significant new jobs generation, and supporting many others in a managed transition to net zero.
Skills, Innovation and Productivity: The role of further education colleges in local and regional ecosystems
Productivity Institute and Innovation Caucus, March 2023.
Places FE colleges in the context of helping drive local change and development. One chart that caught our attention divided colleges into one of four roles: ecosystem developer, specialist skills partner, regional skills provider, and ecosystem foundation skills provider. What would be useful would be to know how these colleges help in supporting the development of skills for the net zero transition. We think the categorisation of the colleges into the various roles is a step that might help in understanding the potential of their role.
Smart City Demonstrators: A global review of challenges and lessons learned
Future Cities Catapult, 2021.
Cities are having to adjust significantly to a net zero world and there are hosts of cities sharing learning; many are brought together here. A key interest for us here is the skills and capabilities required, largely in local authorities, which are picked up here and the need to manage multiple partnerships to deliver specific projects: competences that are innately green but are fundamental to delivering green projects.
֎Net Zero – Strategy and Support Research Report: October 2023 to January 2024
Local Government Association, March 2024.
Reports on a survey across local authorities (of all types). Our concern is always the capacity and capability at local levels to provide the necessary convening, collaborative and wider leadership role to progress the net zero transition.
Where next for levelling-up? Five challenges for governments looking to address regional inequality.
Institute for Government and University of Manchester, April 2024.
Messages are very clear and very loud (and ones we are hearing daily): devolution needs high quality capacity at local levels, consistency of policy and funding, etc. but the prize of local co-ordination and integration are huge, and key for progressing the transition to net zero.
Accelerating inclusive growth in the Pioneer Valley: A prospectus for Transformative Economic Investment
Cambridge Econometrics for the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, March 2024.
No matter what area is studied to develop an economic development plan, we find green opportunities. This thorough scan of opportunities identifies two: water treatment technology, and the whole transition to clean energy technology. We find the repeated studies undertaken across the USA are useful examples and the methodology used one that can help in prompting thinking in the UK.
Accelerating the future: Industrial strategy in the era of AI
Tony Blair Institute, March 2024.
This is a challenging short report that places the Government at the centre of the solution to the industry strategy and productivity dilemma. The solution is for the Government to develop a platform for innovation, adoption, and diffusion of productivity-enhancing technologies. Within this re-imagined industrial strategy it places skills and a key role for local trailblazers (place-based element). This all makes good sense, and sees harnessing the whole energy transition as being one that could be a part of the proposed approach (alongside AI and recognising major trade de-coupling).
Pot Pourri
Towards Scotland’s first flood resilience strategy: engaging with stakeholders
Scottish Flood Forum, 2023.
Details the process of working with multiple stakeholders during 2023 looking at developing a flood resilience strategy. Knowledge elements are identified across several headings e.g. people, place, process, relocation, and cross-cutting enablers. We need to remember that around 16% of the investment we require going forward for the net zero transition should be devoted to mitigation.
The economic commitment of climate change
Nature, Vol 628, April 2024.
For those seeking to making “the case” for climate action, please take a look at this article as it quickly captures the costs and the losses due to not managing climate change through progressive action.
The Weight of Nature: How a changing climate changes our minds, brains, and bodies
Clayton Page Aldern, Penguin, April 2024.
Our behaviour is changing and one of the forces is the changing climate, and this goes on to impact specific decisions too. Small changes but with big impacts around a foetus’s development and later health, decisions around asylum applications, parole applications, etc. Making this visible further makes the case for action.
Long problems: climate change and the challenge of governing across time
Thomas Hale, Princeton University Press, April 2024.
The need to adjust politics and policies to ensure we can tackle long term problems (like climate change, poverty, levelling-up, etc.). The proposed intermediary and transition bodies and councils is something which we would agree with as it fits with the local approach. We also think some existing bodies really help in this process too, like the Climate Change Committee, and translating their analysis with local governance arrangements would be useful.
Possible: Ways to Net Zero
Chris Goodall, Profile Books, March 2024.
Takes on those sectors with a major challenge to decarbonise and works through green steel, cement, textiles, turbines, e-fuels, ocean capture of CO₂, etc. Case studies bring the challenges alive and show that they are possible.