The Green Edge Reports Roundup, Oct-23: 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.
Skills
Investment in Training and Skills. IFS Green Budget Chapter 9. R277.
IFS, October 2023.
One of the consistent messages we hear is that the transition to net zero will drive reskilling and upskilling across much of the UK workforce (possibly as high as 40%), and the amount of the training required will vary greatly by role. No matter what the exact nature of the training required for net zero, it does need to be part an effective national training system. This report and analysis present a detailed insight into the effectiveness of the various UK Government interventions to boost skills and productivity, and it calls for changes e.g. the apprenticeship levy funds application. We need to see a bringing together of the financial policy levers described here with the reality of net zero skills priorities which will come out of the Green Jobs Delivery Group’s work early next year.
Impact Report, Annual Report and Financial Statement 2022-2023
UK Green Building Council, July 2023.
Goal 7 of the UK GBC is around boosting knowledge, skills, and competences in order to accelerate the industry’s transformative change. We see the large scale online (and in person) learning platform the UKGBC have developed delivery nearly 20,000 learning hours, and 4,600 individuals being supported to their learning and development. Online is developed with Future Learn, and there is a high preference for short, sharp courses across all areas of the industry. It strikes us that there is a lot of curriculum sharing that would help both the UKGBC and every other body seeking to help its members deliver on net zero.
Systems Thinking: An Introductory Toolkit for Civil Servants
Government Office for Science, 2022 (updated January 2023)
This excellent toolkit should be widely shared and used at all levels of Government as it would certainly help to develop better net zero policies, and all other areas. We hope some of the leading higher education institutions take on this toolkit and incorporate it into their undergraduate programmes.
Guide to Jobs in Energy
Energy UK, October 2023.
Career guides are readily available, and it is key that they are kept up to date. This one is for the energy sector which is well captured in a figure: How does the energy industry work? The image is one of a sector which is spreading further and further into other sectors, and requiring new entrants (or at least the entry of new services) to manage the re-shaping of the national energy system. The current system employs 131,000 people, and there are many others that need to have energy knowledge and skills as their building, say a school, needs to be able have both an energy efficiency plan and one around energy generation and supply outside of the school. This is true across the economy.
Impact Report 2023: Holding ourselves accountable for meaningful change
City and Guilds, October 2023.
Qualifications are a major currency in the labour market and in making it work. It is clear from this impact report that the currency of qualifications is allowing people to enter work who had been previously blocked, and in codifying new work and skills e.g. in the green economy which features throughout the report. Perhaps the forthcoming UK Net Zero Workforce Plan will also make comment and recommendations as to the role of qualifications and the national policies that can be used to maximise their contribution to the net zero transition. It should not also be lost that qualifications are a key export from the UK education sector.
Equipping Building Engineers to Deliver Net Zero
Energy Systems Catapult and Actuate UK, July 2023.
The market of skilled businesses challenged with adapting our building stock is fragmented, complex, lacks effective QA, and needs to embracing learning as a growth driver. One message we take away from this report is the need for a change in mindset and culture across the design and installation sector. This is a common message we see in other sectors.
UK Offshore Energy Workforce Transferability Review
Energy Transition Institute, Robert Gordon University, May 2021.
Several things strike us about the findings of this report: the transition is large and quick with low carbon energy employment growing from 20% to 65% by 2030 (low carbon energy here being CCUS, hydrogen, other energy, and offshore wind); and the transferability of staff from one part of energy to another being 20% high, 70% medium, and 10% low. Having the North Sea Transition Authority in place to manage the transition and to ensure the skills developed in one part of the energy sector can be used into the future, in the largely renewable sector.
A Skills Classification for the UK: Plans for Development and Maintenance
Department for Education, October 2023.
Progress in the UK has been very, very slow on developing a skills classification system, and many of us have made use of O*NET and ESCO for some time. Let’s hope this first phase report leads to the investment in a UK skills classification system very quickly. It would help in all of the expected areas, and particularly now in the green economy, and around the skills to support the transition to net zero. As a side note, nearly 10 years ago we worked with Gatsby and ran an experts and key stakeholder workshop to test the level of interest in extending the use O*NET in the UK, and the use cases developed then are still as relevant today.
The Partnership Imperative: Community Colleges, Employers, and America’s Chronic Skills Gap
Harvard Business School, Managing the Future of Work Programme, December 2022.
A critical figure in this report - Figure 3: Demand for Educational Attainment in Jobs, 1973-2020 - shows the trend in the level of qualifications being demanded over a nearly 50-year period. The trend is upwards, which significantly impacts those currently in the labour market who are facing a potentially ever-increasing barrier to their future progress, further complicated by the major drivers shaping the content of work: digital, automation, AI, green etc. To tackle this challenge the core premise of the report is the need for highly structured local partnerships like we are starting to see across the UK.
Labour Market
From missed chances to green advances. The case for a green industrial strategy.
IPPR Fair Transition Unit, October 2023.
Very simple message: the opportunity is huge and growing, and the UK is not making the most of the opportunities across the green economy. Makes some interesting comparisons with Denmark and Sweden to derive a series of green employment deficit figures. But we would make the simple observation: Denmark and other Scandinavian countries having been pursuing a series of mutually reinforcing energy policies since the 1970s.
Young People in Scotland Research 2022/23. Key Findings Briefing Paper.
Skills Development Scotland Evaluation and Research Team, September 2023.
Turn to page 10 of this report and look at Figure 7: % agreement with statements on Net Zero jobs by gender. A few quick messages shout out at us: overall young people have little knowledge of net zero job opportunities; females are more likely to answer “don’t know” compared to males; and, young people living in SIMD-5 areas (least deprived) are also more likely to have an understanding of net zero opportunities than those living in SIMD 1 areas (most deprived). This is a major wake-up call if we are to make real progress of developing a truly diverse net zero workforce, and not just replicate the biases already existing in many traditional sectors important to net zero delivery.
Independent Review of Careers Guidance in Schools and Further Education and Skills Providers.
Ofsted, September 2023.
It is now 10 years since Ofsted looked at careers guidance across schools, FE college and skills providers, and the key message coming out from this qualitative piece of research is very positive. The overall careers systems and structures are in place and working reasonably well but what we now need to know is how well the connections and the information flows are taking place as regards emerging and rapidly developing parts of society and the economy (like sustainability and the net zero transition). We suspect not great despite the clear interest amongst school students in particular around sustainability and the environment.
Creating a Good-Jobs Economy in the UK
The Economy 2030 Inquiry, Resolution Foundation, July 2023.
Picks up on four policy themes needed to progress the growth and development of a good jobs economy: active labour market policies; industrial and regional policies; innovation; and international economic policies. When the UK is compared to other countries, we find it wanting compared to many European countries plus South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia. So, at a time of employment and work content change, including the transition to net zero, it creates a golden opportunity to fine tune policies that not only deliver on net zero but also high quality, good jobs.
What is a just transition for environmental targets?
Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology, POST Note 706, October 2023.
We have spoken about the need to manage the transition to net zero in an inclusive way and ensuring those employed in highly impacted industries (and this includes the surrounding communities) make their personal transition to, say, a renewable energy role. This well-researched report covers this area and highlights the policies being adopted in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We think with the LSIPs and LAEP in England will provide the basis for making just transition, and through that focus ensure the entry into new and emerging roles is open to more people.
Connecting Efforts to Support Minorities in Engineering Education: Proceedings of a Workshop
National, Academies Press, 2023
A useful state-of-the-nation capturing of practice and thinking to boost entry into engineering across the USA. Without drawing more people into engineering, transition to net zero will be very difficult.
Review of the Shortage Occupation List
Migration Advisory Committee, October 2023.
We find this document really helpful and informative as it makes a review of the UK labour market and then conducts a detailed review of a range of sectors/occupations. The direction of travel here is to move away from occupations and to view whole sectors (and regions) to adopt a more dynamic view on the context in which they operate. Net zero is raised and recognised for a few occupations. Our takeaway fact: 17.1% of the current UK workforce are foreign nationals (5.44mn people) which is the highest it has even been.
Levelling-up/Regional Development
Local Area Energy Planning: Achieving net zero locally
Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology, POST Note 703, July 2023.
This informative note covers what might be an important development in England (already in train elsewhere in the UK) if it is to be built on after the 20 LAEP trailblazers. Each LAEP seeks to cover buildings, transport, energy and local industry, and in some cases land use/agriculture, environment, and individual behaviour change. Our interest in the plans is that they translate down into detail e.g. the one for Manchester identifies the 4.5 gigawatts from solar, 8000 homes on heat networks, 116,000 homes with heat pumps, 140,000 homes with fabric retrofit, and 190,000 EVs replacing petrol and diesel vehicles - all by 2027. These numbers can then be translated into the numbers of people required and their skills. Our wish would be for LAEPs to be formally adopted for all local and combined authorities, and for the necessary capacity and capabilities to be developed and retained (a common message we are finding).
Engineering Economy and Place: Understanding the engineering economy in places across the UK
Royal Academy of Engineering, June 2023.
This is an important report in that it makes clear the scale of the engineering industry (with 8.1mn employees) and examines the whole industry by looking at the core roles played by engineers in R&D (research, develop, evaluate), practical applications (deploy, deliver), support and other. Engineering employees are split quite evenly across the main functions: 25% in R&D, 26% in deploy; 21% in delivery, with the remainder in support (18%) and other (10%). It then seeks to split engineering across the UK into a series of engineering economies: embedded engineering (86 local authorities), local engines (170), volume heavy weights (50), value hotspots (41) and high-flying innovators (27). We very much like this approach and think it would be of greater value to local authorities if it were to be extended using data from Data City and Lightcast. Certainly of value to those drafting local skills improvement plans.
Growing Green: A Proposal for a National Investment Fund
Institute for Public Policy Research, August 2023.
While not focused on skills, the development of a national investment fund would certainly drive green skills development. In particular we like the place-based component of the thinking within this proposal. We would have thought that procurement would add an extra piece to the fund in its operation given the scale of the states spending (investment) in infrastructure and in the decarbonisation of the economy.
Urban Green Transition – Transforming our cities for a new reality
State of Green, October 2023.
Launched at a well-attended and enthusiastic event in mid-October this report works through some of the issues as regards green mobility, climate adaptation and reducing the climate footprint of buildings, providing some powerful examples. Two things really struck us listening to the discussion and reading the white paper: this is a renaissance of urban planning, marking a shift towards living-centric thinking; and, the extent to which local and combined authorities will have to engage with residents to devise new urban and city environments. Well worth a read, and truly uplifting.
Accelerating Net Zero Delivery: Unlocking the benefits of climate action in UK city-regions
Innovate UK, March 2022.
A seminal piece of work showing the value of place-based versus aspatial/place agnostic approaches to delivering net zero. The logic and financial analysis are compelling but to make it happen rests on developing the capacity and capability at local levels to deliver the opportunities. Sits very well with the recent Mission Zero report on the role of local government in realising net zero ambitions.
Communities on the edge: Assessing the need for levelling up in England’s coastal authorities
Pragmatix Advisory for the Coastal Communities Alliance, January 2023.
Our interest here is drawn to two sections of Part 3 on the Green Economy, and Marine Environment and Infrastructure. Both sectors are key to the levelling-up of multiple coastal towns. What is holding back progress? Just look at the chart on page 81: the two main barriers are the funding format (and scale) and the local capability and capacity to tackle climate change with Local Government. This is a recurrent theme we find repeated by almost every time we speak with local authorities.
Can infrastructure help ‘left behind’ places ‘catch-up?’ Theorizing the role of built infrastructure in regional development
Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy, and Society, 2023, 113, September 2023.
Beware others proffering gifts and simple infrastructure solutions might be one way of paraphrasing this paper. The whole net zero transition creates multiple opportunities to help develop places across the UK which are pejoratively described as ‘left behind’, and need to be part of regional development and growth plans.
General
Letter to the Prime Minister
Environmental Audit Committee, House of Commons UK, September 29th, 2023.
This is an important letter from the EAC to the UK Prime Minster focusing on the recent statement of changes to net zero milestone dates (EVs, and HP). It states very clearly the EAC’s displeasure at the tone, style and context of the statement, and makes a series of demands for details, for the costings, the calculations and the revised carbon budget for the UK. No doubt the Climate Change Committee will be asking the same questions and addressing them through their detailed analysis. Another letter was sent to the UK Government by the Climate Change Committee on Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate which should be read alongside the one from the EAC. One response to the PM’s statement came from the Climate Change Committee which - while liking some specific milestones being kept - expresses concern about the lack of policies in place to deliver 2030 net zero targets.
A people-centred approach is needed to meet net zero goals
Journal of British Academy, September 2023.
Making sure citizens are part of the net zero decision making process can be seen across the UK at local level in numerous projects (see the work of Ashden on this) and in particular the work of the Just Transition Commission in Scotland. This paper lays out some very useful thinking and suggests indirectly the need for the capacity to actively engage and steer a process with their communities around key net zero changes and decisions.
NHS Long Term Workforce Plan
NHS England, June 2023.
Yes, the NHS owns and operates a major estate requiring decarbonisation, but we list this report here because of its scale and impact across the UK labour market over the next 10 years. Just taking the headline target numbers for 2036/37 we see 60,000 additional doctors, 170,000 more nurses, and 71,000 extra allied health professionals (that’s 301,000) over what we have today, and within these totals there a series of new roles e.g. advanced practitioner, nursing associate, and physician associate. The scale of these numbers must impact recruitment elsewhere in the economy. Our observation: we need not just a net zero workforce plan but one which covers the whole economy which we have glimpses of within the work of the Migration Advisory Committee work.
Finally, some useful links…
At the recent International Green Skills Conference (September 2023), Debra Rowe, President, US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development shared the following listing of resources from her paper, “Practical Tools and Key Perspectives for Green Skilling”.
HESI – Education for Green Jobs – 10 UN agencies https://sdgs.un.org/HESI/education-green-jobs
Global Guidance Document with UNEP – https://tinyurl.com/GlobalGuidanceDocument
Clean Energy Ministerial Workforce Project – https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/ and their toolkit https://tinyurl.com/workforce-toolkit (opportunities, strategic, resources)
Greening TVET and green skilling practical tool – https://www.ilo.org/skills/pubs/WCMS_847095/land-en/index.htm
International Association of Employers green skills report – https://www.ioe-emp.org/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=158134&token=05a3153238f13e82b34c7e1b2b1243fd93495f06
Change Agent Skilling and related components for quality teaching – https://serc.carleton.edu/sisl/pedagogies.html
Join the Virtual Green Skills Community – https://tinyurl.com/VirtualGreenSkillsCommunity
Join the Green Learning Network – https://thegreenforum.org/group/91/stream
Educational materials rubic to assess sustainability content – https://www.sdgcompactfellows.org/textbooks-educational-materials
Connecting academic researchers with practitioners and policy makers – https://www.sdgcompactfellows.org/top-action-tips
Connecting teaching and learning with real world problems solving to skill students as change agents – https://www.epicn.org/