CCC: UK must defend its lead on hydrogen and CCS

The UK government has been warned that it risks losing the workforce it needs to meet its net zero ambitions.

The Committee on Climate Change has urged the government to take action to “defend its competitive advantage in Net Zero sectors like hydrogen and carbon capture”.

Failing to do so will see workers leave the UK for countries in Europe or the USA, where there is a clear plan for the creation of net zero jobs.

A CCC briefing note adds: “The introduction of the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s proposed Green Deal Industrial Plan have increased the risk to competitiveness of the UK in some key areas of the Net Zero transition.

“The UK risks missing out on opportunities to capture low-carbon market shares by not supporting skills that attract investment to the UK.”

The CCC briefing document states that around 250,000 jobs have already been created in the transition to net zero, but the “full workforce opportunities will only be realised with stronger policies to harness the potential and manage the risks”. It adds that “a hands-off approach to the Net Zero workforce from Government will not work”.

The document adds that “growth of jobs is not guaranteed” and requires “active reskilling and upskilling of the workforce in key areas”, which the CCC says needs government support.

Lord Deben, chair of the Climate Change Committee, said: “The UK has committed to Net Zero. The only question is whether the Government intends to get there in a way that benefits workers or leaves them behind.

“This is a unique moment to tailor our approach to skills and jobs, in the certainty of achieving the legal goal. A Net Zero workforce means secure employment for the future. This is an opportunity for the Government to bring real meaning to ‘levelling up’.”

In particular the CCC has called for “strong, targeted support […] in the Government’s forthcoming Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan”.

It adds that government intervention is not necessary in every sector of the economy, however clear policy direction for each sector is important, combined with a responsive education and skill system.

The warning from the CCC echoes projections made by industry. National Grid’s own research shows that the sector needs to recruit for 400,000 jobs between now and 2050 to get the UK to net zero.