Think tanks call on bold action by G20 to create massive boost in green jobs
Greenwise Staff
25th September 2009
A new report by a group of influential think tanks published today to coincide with the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh, argues that bold and rapid policies by these governments on climate change is likely to create tens of millions of new jobs.
The report – ‘Creating Opportunity’ – published by the Global Climate Network (GCN), which includes among its ranks the UK’s Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), specifically calls on G20 policies that promote rapid growth in “climate-friendly innovations and industries”, especially focusing on low carbon technologies.
Such action, argues the report, will create extra jobs in renewable energy, information technology and service sectors.
The GCN study, which focuses particularly on low carbon electricity generation, suggests China could create over 40 million new jobs alone through existing plans to develop its green sectors and high tech industries.
Earlier ippr research, included in the report, predicts up to 70,000 long-term jobs could be created in the UK offshore wind industry in parts of the country where they are most needed, and also create export potential.
”Our network has analysed existing research into employment creation in climate-friendly sectors and it is our view that the opportunities to create good quality, long term jobs is significant,” commented Andrew Pendleton, Senior Research Fellow at ippr and Coordinator of the GCN. “But governments have to be bold, smart and collaborative in the way they approach creating stable markets in low carbon technologies. The G20 in Pittsburgh is the perfect opportunity to begin this work.
”Technologies and economies are both highly dynamic and so predictions of numbers will never prove precise. We urge G20 leaders to focus on creating markets for new technologies - using all the measures available to them - and not to be too distracted by predictions of the job numbers their measures might create.”
The report is part of a bigger study by the GCN on low carbon employment, the final findings of which will be published in October.