TUC of England and Wales has warned that U.K. may lose upto 660,000 jobs if it fails to reach its net-zero target of carbon emission
Trades Union Congress (TUC), the federation of trade unions in England and Wales has warned that United Kingdom (U.K.) may lose upto 660,000 jobs if it fails to reach its net-zero target as quickly as other nations.
TUC opines that a lot of jobs could be moved offshore to countries offering superior green infrastructure and support for decarbonisation. As per TUC, 26,900 jobs in iron and steel sector, 41,000 jobs in glass and ceramics sector, 63,200 jobs in chemicals sector, 18,000 jobs in textiles sector, 79,000 jobs in rubber and plastics sector, 15,500 jobs in paper, pulp and printing sector, 7,800 jobs in refineries, 7,400 jobs in wood products and 900 jobs in cement and lime sector are at risk.
The U.K. has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. The UK’s green recovery investment is currently a 1/4th of France, 1/5th of Canada and s6% of the United States (U.S.) plan.
It has also called for a £ 85 billion green recovery package to create 1.2 million green jobs. As per the data shared by TUC, U.K. ranks second last among G7 economies in terms of investment in green infrastructure and jobs.
Speaking on the occasion, the General Secretary of TUC – Frances O’Grady said, “If we move quickly, we can still safeguard Britain’s industrial heartlands. The government should boost investment to at least the G7 average and commit to the Green Jobs Taskforce plans in full.”
TUC has also stated that steel industry jobs are at greater risk because their manufacturing process is dependent on burning coal at high temperatures. Other nations such as Sweden have already put new technologies into place that enable steel production without using coal.
Refuting the claims, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has said that the data shared by TUC is untrue and it does not recognise their methodology. BEIS also said it is currently considering the recommendations of an independent report into the future of green jobs.
A statement from BEIS read, “In recent months we’ve secured record investment in wind power, published a world-leading hydrogen strategy, pledged £1bn in funding to support the development of carbon capture and launched a landmark North Sea transition deal – the first G7 nation to do so – that will protect our environment, generate huge investment and create and support thousands of jobs.”
In August 2021, Hybrit, a joint venture between Swedish firms SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall, made its first delivery of green steel using hydrogen from the electrolysis of water with renewable electricity, while another firm H2 Green Steel is planning to open a hydrogen plant in 2024. SSAB has a partnership with Mercedes-Benz to introduce fossil-free steel into vehicle production as soon as possible. Mercedes wants its entire car fleet to be carbon-neutral across the entire supply chain by 2039.
