The Green Edge Reports Roundup, Jan-24
Continuing with our selection of reports and other publications from this month’s reading list.
Since this first of February falls on a Thursday, and so as not to inundate our esteemed subscribers with too many emails on the same day, our monthly reports roundup is also this week’s post. Normal service will be resumed next week.
As usual, you can find all these reports and more in our searchable reports list on The Green Edge Data Portal.
Skills
Green skills in education and employment
POST No 711, January 2024.
A useful review of the issues and policies across the green skills and employment landscape in the UK. We should add that we were interviewed for, and reviewed the final draft of this POST briefing from the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology. We see the note as an excellent briefing across a range of people, from those involved with careers advice through to local authority officers.
Growing Quality Green Jobs: Driving Economic Advancement in the Green Economy
Burning Glass Institute for Jobs for the Future, June 2023.
A powerful report combining three core concepts: the green transformation cycle, the level of green skills integration (additive, blended and job changing), and the level of green economy maturity. Takes us beyond the simplistic count of green jobs and where they are, right into the process by which jobs become green, and their acquisition and development of green skills. This version of the report is US-focused, but using Burning Glass (now Lightcast) data it should be possible to produce a similar monitoring report for the UK. By focusing on process and context, it shapes the nature of the required education and training support too, along with the necessary qualifications. This report is important!
Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap: Helping businesses move from pledges to progress
Microsoft, November 2022.
An interesting report by Microsoft and Boston Consulting Group based on the work of 15 companies at the forefront of sustainability innovation and change, and looking at new and changing jobs. Several big messages for us in here: co-operation to develop a shared understanding; workforce-wide upskilling; and preparing the next generation of workers for the future. Pages 10-11 have some helpful diagrams on skills and work focus.
CIWM Skills Matrix: Navigate your path to business and career success
CIWM, November 2023.
A practical and detailed document charting the competences for the circular economy and sustainability across six key areas. For companies seeking to include key elements of waste management and circular economy into their job profiles, this is a great source document as more and more jobs take on a broader sustainability and circular economy elements.
Virtual Production Skills Report 2023
Story Futures, National Centre for Immersive Story Telling, Royal Holloway, 2023.
A well-presented skills report (especially the skills mandala); our interest was attracted by the application of VP capabilities to acquiring green skills. We are in touch with the Centre to find out more, as we feel this might be one way to boost individual learning and skills development.
Areas of Research Interest
Department for Education, January 2024.
Good to see high priority being placed on skills research (mainly STEM and green) with focus on how skills drive economic growth through improving the skills pipeline, levelling-up productivity and supporting people to work. We would like to see DfE’s research also theming on things like skills development from jobholders’ perspectives, the skills groupings driving jobs changes, and on how skills can be best developed (e.g. at work with support, on the job, within a project, at college, with suppliers). We refer to a couple of reports from the Burning Glass Institute which start to tackle these questions, and we’ll be discussing with them how their work can inform action and policy in the workplace and at place levels.
Labour Market
How skills are disrupting work: the transformational power of fast growing, in-demand skills
Burning Glass Institute, Business-Higher Education Forum, and Wiley, December 2022.
Using job postings data since 2015 in the USA, this work finds four groups of skills that are fast emerging: AI/machine learning, cloud computing, product management, and social media. These four groups of skills are found in 1 in 8 job postings generally, but in manufacturing it’s 1 in 5, and in utilities it’s 1 in 4. We also find that over the last 5 years ‘average’ US workers have experienced 37% change in their skills base. Why is this important to our interest? It shows the rate of digital skills penetration, and how carrier waves of skills re-shape jobs. We were surprised that green skills were not found, and would suggest there is overlap between many digital and green skills (when taken from an output and process perspective).
Next generation skills intelligence for more learning and better matching
Cedefop, 2023.
Well worth a read, laying out the diversity of approach to inform skills intelligence and providing links to case studies across Europe (National Observatory for Jobs and Occupations of the Green Economy in France; national survey of jobs and skills for the green transition in Norway, and other countries including Bulgaria, Estonia, Portugal and Sweden). A few of the graphics in this policy brief would also be useful to anyone seeking to explain how and why forward-looking skills intelligence is worth developing.
Dynamic labour markets for growth
REC, 2024.
The REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) has published this 2024 manifesto with four main themes, and we note their call to embed net zero and tech change into education for future employment. Under this banner the REC suggests there should be an incentive for those businesses creating green jobs. It (rightly, we feel) also calls for a clear definition of green jobs which would be needed to operate such a policy. It would be good to see how a green jobs incentive would add in the transition, and how it might operate.
The Learning Communities Handbook
Newcastle University, 2019 and 2021.
We have become increasing interested in community learning programmes as we see them emerging for community energy action, for retrofit, and so on. Here is a way to engage people in making informed sustainable decisions, and as a form of informal re-skilling and up-skilling. This handbook is a good place to start for those thinking of developing a network and wanting to move it towards being a learning community.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education Delivery and Assessment
Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology, POST Note 712, January 2024.
A useful briefing. Our interest here is around using the latest technologies – most notably AI/ML – in formative and summative assessments for green, technical qualifications. Sadly, this briefing focuses on more academic education and how to avoid the worst aspects of AI (i.e. in cheating and how to prevent it). But the principles of AI can be used for portfolio assessment and providing students with feedback, pointers, and advice. An area certainly worth watching. If the use of AI/ML in education is of interest, see the DfE’s Generative AI in Education review (January 2024).
Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy for Education: Progress Update 2023 (User Group Assessment)
Department for Education, December 2023.
A mixed picture comes from the first 18 months of the Department’s sustainability strategy. It is clear there is a need for more information across all domains and areas. Why the Department doesn’t develop a simple set of standards (a bit like the one it did for digital and technology standards in schools and colleges, covering 10 areas and 47 detailed factors) beats us - this way we’re simply going to get another mixed picture next year.
Levelling-up/Regional Development
Glasgow: A Case Study on Green Jobs and Skills Development for People with Low Qualifications
RAND Europe, October 2022.
One of a series of reports, with others for London, Dorset and Somerset, and Edinburgh together with cities across Europe. Looks at both green jobs and skills, including those that are open to people with few or low qualifications. Much of the UK has now been analysed for where green jobs will emerge over the next 5-10 years at local, region and nation levels. It would be good to see these pulled together into one place to allow standards and qualifications bodies to develop their forward thinking. One thing that also strikes us in looking across each of these studies is how different the scale and rate of green jobs emergence (and greening of existing jobs) is across these cities and how well they have supported existing businesses to adjust and attract new investment.
Developing a Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
Gatsby Charitable Foundation, July 2023.
One of our concerns about LSIPs is their variability and usefulness. This guide helps to ensure LSIPs stand a better chance of having high impact and utility in shaping actions to match local skills demand and supply.
Local roots of trade routes: The UK’s regional services trade over time
Resolution Foundation, January 2024.
A short, powerful briefing paper looking at traded services (finance and insurance, information and communications, professional scientific and technical, and other) at the regional and nation level across the UK. London dominates. Net zero and green are embedded in the service areas. It would be useful to tease these out to see the importance of the transition to future local economic growth.
Boosting growth and productivity in the UK through investments in the sustainable economy
Policy Report from the Grantham Institute and Centre for Economic Performance, LSE, Productive and Inclusive Net Zero, The Productivity Institute, and the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion, January 2024.
A simple - challenging - start point: investment is too low, inconsistent, and too much focused on unsustainable investments in oil and gas. Solution: harness innovation and digitalisation/AI matched by an increase in the levels of investment by another 1% (£26bn) and focus this across several key sectors of energy, transport, housing, industry, agriculture, and waste. We hear a shout for a skills strategy to match the ambition of the growth strategy.
Cities Outlook 2024
Centre for Cities, 2024.
Covers the 2010-2024 period across a series of key measures for productivity, start-ups, innovation, employment, skills etc. and shows significant differences across the UK. Charts the challenge to levelling-up and wider regional development policies in harnessing the opportunities across the UK.
London Climate Resilience Review: Interim Report
London Climate Resilience Review for the GLA, January 2024.
The whole area of adaptation is one we have not focused on much, but the capital programmes here are significant and are responsible for driving green jobs growth. In London this covers flood defences, wildfire risk, insurance, cooling of buildings and communities, etc. This is a consultation document and we’ll be interested to see if there is a skills and jobs component to subsequent reports as delivery is considered.
London Councils Climate Programme Implementation Plan, 2023-2025
London Councils, September 2023.
To see what is happening across the wide spectrum of projects for climate change in London, here is the detail for 2023-24 and 2024-25. Skills are mentioned (more in terms of employment levels) late in the plan (Pages 18-19). Hopefully the skills response will grow as the plans go into greater detail on delivery.
Energy
General
The Great Reallocation: Capital expenditure on energy production
RMI, January 2024.
Despite the cries that we can’t afford the shift from fossil fuel capital programmes to a full renewable one, this report shows it can work and is affordable. Key is not to drive up costs and timelines by having constraints elsewhere, for example in skills.
Transforming Energy Demand
World Economic Forum in collaboration with PWC, January 2024.
Putting the huge shifts occurring in energy demand into a world context is helpful, showing what is being achieved and what is being learned. One thing that always strikes us is the revision of forecasts (upwards) as we make progress towards 2030, and other future targets.
Biomass
The Government’s support for biomass
NAO, January 2024.
Most people would be surprised at the scale of biomass for energy and heat, and the associated levels of Government support. As ever the NAO provide a great set of detail, timelines, funding flows, etc. No mention of skills, but it is one which should be picked up given the £22bn that has been spent on support alone since 2002.
Hydrogen
Turning wasted wind into clean hydrogen
Policy Exchange, 2023.
We currently see huge, wasted wind energy due to power systems congestion (£2bn in 2021) and further curtailment payments (£210mn in 2022). So, there is a good case to explore how wasted energy (wind in this case) can be used to generate another energy source - hydrogen. Early days, but with incentives and regulations hydrogen could become a reality for some energy-intensive industries.
Renewables
Renewables 2030: Analysis and forecast to 2028
International Energy Agency, January 2024.
A comprehensive review across electricity, transport, biofuels, heat, and biogas and biomethane. Simple message: progress is being made but policy implementation needs to accelerate, and China is THE powerhouse of renewables.
Solar
End of Life Guidelines Version 1
Solar Power Europe, January 2024.
As more and more solar panels are installed, the older ones will need replacing after, say, 25-30 years (most reputable manufacturers provide a 25 year warranties) and will need to be recycled. This best practice guide covers this emerging “new” work stream in the green economy.
Nature & Environment
Progress in improving the natural environment in England
Office for Environmental Protection, January 2024.
Progress being made but not great - this is the message of Table 1 (page 11) which goes through the 10 goals of the Environment Improvement Plan 2023, and summarises the overall picture. There are many factors holding back progress - one of these is skills.
Our Journey Towards Sustainability
Dyson Farming, December 2023.
A glimpse of the world of farming and agriculture to come. While this is a PR document, it does map out what is being done, what is being achieved across 36,000 acres of prime farmland. Directional and indicative for those interested in the re-shaping of skills for land-based industries.
Heat & Retrofit
Synchronising Retrofit and Planned Works Guidance Report
XCO2 for London Council, October 2023.
Simple message: combine regular, planned capital work with PAS2035 standards thinking. Highlights three boroughs: Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, and Lewisham. Useful for any education and training provider as it shows the detailed links between retrofit and the standards. Also worth looking at the range of other documents charting the progress of retrofitting in London – a rich source of materials here to chart the progress being made.
Introduction to PAS 2035 Toolkit
Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator, March 2022.
A quick and readable introduction to PAS 2035 and the roles that undertake the work. This toolkit also offers links to other resources and case studies. A good place to start for those new to PAS 2035.
Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030
Church of England, July 2022.
There are two aspects of the route map to net zero which attracted our attention: the physical fabric aspects of working with a huge estate (16,000 church buildings of which 12,500 are listed); and the winning of hearts and minds within the Church of England and its congregation to nudge people towards adopting low carbon solutions and reduce heating costs. The adoption of an independent rating system is helpful to denote progress and to create helpful competition between parishes and dioceses.
Community Powered Retrofit for London. Stage 1: Establishing the Case
Dark Matter Labs and Home Energy Action Lab for London Councils, June 2023.
A wealth of materials here (click on the reports tab). This report charts, with a wide range of examples, how community programmes can and are being developed across London. To make these community approaches work requires skilled facilitation and support, but there are charities and other organisations now with the expertise to undertake this work. It would be good to see local authorities and social housing organisations with additional funding to lead these initiatives and build on the work of the community energy groups movement.
The Heat Pump Wave: Opportunities and Challenges. Analysis of the large scale deployment of the largescale deployment of heat pumps by 2030 following the REPower EU plan.
EC, JRC Science for Policy Report, 2023.
What hits us on reading this report about heat pumps deployment is the scale: currently employing 320,000 people, growing to 500,000 - 750,000 (depending on the sources we look at) by 2030. Much of the growth can be fuelled by transfers from highly related roles (gas and oil boiler installers, HVAC installers) but there is also the challenge around refrigerants and F-gas regulations. A key message coming from the EU is the importance of building confidence from demand through to education and training providers.
Insulation impact: how much do UK homes really need?
Nesta, January 2024.
Dovetails nicely with the report below. The keys are heat pump systems design and radiator size, and heat pumps can have a greater impact than insulation in reducing emissions. Often though, given the disruption in retrofitting a house, it makes sense to combine insulation and HP installation.
Fabric First: is it still the right approach?
Buildings and Cities, 4 (1), 2023.
Always good to challenge established truths. This paper goes some way towards this and it will help shape local thinking and plans for retrofitting. We still think getting the fabric operating well for heat retention is worth doing.
Accelerating Residential Building Decarbonisation: Market Guidance to Scale Zero-Carbon-Aligned-Buildings
Advanced Building Construction Collaborative, January 2024.
The word which caught our attention here is ‘scale’ and there is a lot of detail here to help think through the whole process. Note: this report is for the USA where building materials do vary greatly (a lot more wood than the UK) and the climate varies greatly (the US has most of the world’s climate regions within its borders).
Digital
Adoption of AI in UK firms
Institute for the Future of Work, 2023.
Barriers to the adoption of future digital engineering technologies
UCL, 2019.
IET Skills for a Digital Future 2023 Survey
IET, 2023
Health
NHS Supply Chain and Efficiencies in Procurement
NAO, January 2024.
We have covered in our work the impact of the NHS procurement upon net zero as it seeks to reshape suppliers’ practices and standards, and in the re-working of supply chain to take in re-use, repair etc. This report provides the context of the net zero and sustainability work, along with how public procurement can help industry change.
Pot Pourri
Constraints and trade-offs for the next government
IFS, Report R295, January 2024.
Looking forward to what the next 4-5 years might hold is important to understanding how further progress towards net zero might be achieved. The picture is not great. Progress to-date has been good because we have taken advantage of low hanging fruit: the report goes on to say: ‘The next stage of the transition, especially reducing emissions from the heating of residential and commercial buildings, will mean pursuing policies that impose explicit – and potentially highly salient – short-term costs on households and businesses. This may well be a price work paying, but it will not be pain free’. There will also be a major shift away from fuel duty. Without a steady flow of capital into net zero technologies and policies, skills development will falter.
The Audiences of Sustainability: Unpacking the meanings, trends, and narratives around one of the key concepts of our time
Pulsar, 2023.
By largely using social media as the main data source, this report charts understanding of sustainability and how it is changing, and varies across groups in society. Important to us as we try to look at how wider society is taking on board the sustainability message.
Treasury ‘orthodoxy’. What is it? And is it a problem for Government?
Institute for Government, January 2024.
In this informative report, we can see the Treasury seeking balance, stability, control, and sound money whilst also seeking growth. For the green economy and the net zero transition, the role of the Treasury can’t be underestimated. Its political strength will need to harnessed if we are to make progress.