The latest PwC Green Jobs Barometer reported a small increment of 0.1% in jobs identified as green in the 2023. The reports incites the Government to increase its efforts strengthening the green market and promote an equal distribution of green opportunities across the UK. In September, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met opposition after announcing a delay of five years of some of the UK Net Zero goals to 2035. 

The UK government promised the creation of 2 million green jobs by 2030. The transition to a green economy is expected to produce a global market opportunity of 1 trillion pounds for British Businesses. The PwC report said “Scotland continues its considerable lead in green jobs.” “London and the South East both maintain a considerable lead on the total number of green jobs being advertised.” The green economy has proven resilient to the cost of living, the increased of borrowing cost and the decreased of job offers across the UK.  

The COP28 announced to phase out fossil fuels to meet the 1.5 C the global temperature limit to tackle climate change. The decision has conflicted with the UK government of granting licensing to fossil fuels companies in the UK. The UK government remain leader in the transition to a Green economy. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “This country is proud to be a world leader in reaching Net Zero by 2050. But we simply won’t achieve it unless we change. We’ll now have a more pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic approach that eases the burdens on families.”  

Companies accused the government of not doing enough to promote green initiative and educate the society to understand the benefits of green products and services.  The PwC highlights the need of more initiative and efforts from the government to sustain the small growth in green jobs across the country toward the ambition of net zero goals. Nick Coad, Director of Innovation at Wolseley Group, said: “But rather than inspiring and assisting homeowners across the country, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) has not received the warm reception that was hoped for. Fewer people applied for the scheme this July than last. People remain at best unaware and at worst totally unconvinced of their benefits. The high hopes seem to have faded.”  

In 2020 after the celebration of COP26 in Glasglow, The UK government promised to create 2 million green jobs by 2030. PwC created the Green Job Barometer in 2021 and one of the first definition of Green Jobs. The 2023 Green Jobs Barometer defines Green jobs as Producing and providing environmentally friendly products and services. Adapting work process to become more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources. Supporting the green economy indirectly.  

The PwC Green Job Barometer showed a small increment in the UK green jobs market from the previous years. Scotland leads the ranks of UK regions with the highest increment of green jobs adverts in 2023. London and the South East hold the higher proportions of green jobs for the last three years. The top three industries generating high percentages of green employment are: 

• Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning
• Water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation 
• Professional, scientific, and technical activities 

The number of green jobs in 2023 had a small increment from 2.2% to 2.3% out of the total of jobs vacancies in the UK. In context, this percentage remains under the UK promise of 2 millions jobs. The UK Government promised to create a 6% of green jobs out of the total job in the UK labour market.  

The report said: “meeting the Government’s target of 2 million green jobs by 2030, and ensuring the UK has the capacity to meet its net zero ambitions by 2050, will require an acceleration in the demand for green skills across the economy.” The demands for green jobs added pressure to the ambitions targets for the net zero future of the UK. Carbon emissions must be reduce to 68% by 2030, compared to the 1990 levels, and to 77% by 2035.  

Despite the delay of 5 years in the implementation of some of the net zero goals, the UK remain leader in the deliverance of green policies. The Government said: “Between 1990 and 2021, we cut our emissions by 48%, decarbonising faster than any other G7 country, whilst growing our economy by 65%”. The House of Commons echoes the government position in the The Defence and Climate Change Report: “The UK is a world leader on climate change action, decarbonising faster than any other G7 nation, cutting our emissions by 48% whilst growing the economy by 65%, and remaining committed to delivering net zero by 2050 in a way that does not pass unnecessary costs onto the public.”