en en en en en en id en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en cs en en cs en en cs en en cs en en en en en en en es en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en
The transition to renewable energy would tackle the cost of living crisis, address levelling up, and cut our reliance of Russian fossil fuels, writes Green Alliance head of economy Sam Alvis.
Britain has a jobs crisis – just not the one we were expecting. When the pandemic struck, the government and commentators were rightly concerned about rising unemployment with hundreds of people applying for low paid jobs.
Businesses forced to close would lay off staff, who in lockdown would have no prospect of finding new work. But the creation of the furlough scheme and business support loans stemmed the tide. Unemployment by the end of 2021 was lower than before the pandemic.
Coming out of the pandemic what we saw instead was a surge in demand, both for goods and services. There was a real need for workers to fill new roles, but employers struggled to hire and vacancies reached a record high.
Is your bank funding fossil fuels? Here’s how to find out
UK ‘not prepared’ for more frequent wildfires as climate change accelerates
Although the unemployment rate is low, our under employment is high – many people are working infrequently or insecurely with fewer hours than they want, while many are not working who could.
As energy bills and food prices rise people need an economy that offers more secure and skilled work over temporary or uncertain futures. Financial security is the order of the day, and one that prospective candidates for prime minister should pay heed to.
The energy sector has long been associated with these kind of opportunities. The cost of living crisis, however, born out of a surge in gas and oil prices, is stepping up the urgency we need to move away from volatile fossil fuels. There are rightly concerns over what this means for those working in the industry, but new Green Alliance analysis shows the transition to green energy, such as solar and wind power, has even greater potential to create good and secure work for people.
Subscribe to The Big Issue
From just £3 per week
Take a print or digital subscription to The Big Issue and provide a critical lifeline to our work.
Shifting to renewable energy faster will provide the secure, skilled work people need. In fact, our analysis shows that low carbon energy supports three times more secure work compared with gas, with solar and offshore wind up to five times higher.
What is crucial though is access to work. While the government’s energy security strategy announced this spring will grow skilled work, its reliance on nuclear and offshore wind will concentrate jobs in the south -east and south-west. A great emphasis on onshore wind and solar would mean skilled work created more evenly across all regions and nations of the UK, rather than concentrated in the south.
And while skilled work is the end goal as it brings higher pay, the expansion of renewable energy also offers a route into employment for those yet to acquire the skills. We need a burst of manufacturing and construction that could offer routes into longer term careers in maintenance, management or development in green energy.
Support The Big Issue
Give your local vendor a hand up and buy the magazine
Each of our vendors buy their copies of the mag for £1.50 each, selling them for £3 and keeping the difference. Visit our interactive map to find your nearest vendor.
Find your local vendor
One happy side effect of government planning for rising unemployment is that there is a pool of unspent money in the Treasury’s Plan for Jobs. Using some of this to help reskill and upskill workers in the power sector will be vital. Every region will need to grow its power workforce, the West Midlands by 415 per cent.
The state of the economy and people’s role in it will be a huge challenge for any incoming prime minister. Before reaching for solutions they will need to correctly diagnose the problems. There are so many reasons to transition to renewable energy, including the need to reduce the cost of living, cut our reliance on Russian fossil fuels and for the government to address regional inequality across the UK.
Bigger Issues need bigger solutions
Big Issue Group is creating new solutions through enterprise to unlock opportunities for the 14.5 million people living in poverty to earn, learn and thrive. Big Issue Group brings together our media and investment initiatives as well as a diverse and pioneering range of new solutions, all of which aim to dismantle poverty by creating opportunity. Learn how you can change lives today.
As an era closes, what now for the future of Britain?
As an era closes, what now for the future of Britain?
Where are the superheroes among the super-rich?
Where are the superheroes among the super-rich?
Robin Ince on tour: Edmonton's 'deep history resonates in the present'
Robin Ince on tour: Edmonton's 'deep history resonates in the present'
Rachel Parris: 'Trump and Johnson are gone but the joke's still on us'
Rachel Parris: 'Trump and Johnson are gone but the joke's still on us'
How much will the Queen's funeral cost?
How much will the Queen's funeral cost?
The internet's best reactions as Kwasi Kwarteng cuts taxes and lifts the cap on bankers' bonuses
The internet's best reactions as Kwasi Kwarteng cuts taxes and lifts the cap on bankers' bonuses
From benefit claimants to bankers: Here’s what the mini-budget means for your pay packet
From benefit claimants to bankers: Here’s what the mini-budget means for your pay packet
5 ways anti-homeless architecture is used to exclude people from public spaces
5 ways anti-homeless architecture is used to exclude people from public spaces
Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get The Big Issue in your inbox today
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from The Big Issue and our partners.
Copyright © The Big Issue Limited 2021. All rights reserved.
To mark our new Arctic Monkeys exclusive interview, we’ve picked out some of our best band and musician interviews from the past, featuring Arctic Monkeys (2018), When Jarvis met Bowie, The Specials, Debbie Harry and more. Sign up to our mailing list to receive your free digital copy.