ONS data shows government failing on the green economy, says Prospect

The government is failing to match its promises on building a green economy with any meaningful action, says Prospect following the publication of a new survey from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS says that the UK’s green economy has not grown significantly in terms of turnover and the number of jobs since 2014.

The low carbon and renewable energy economy, LCREE, was estimated to have a turnover of £41.2 billion in 2020, which is no significant change since 2014 when the survey began.

On jobs, the ONS says there are 207,800 full-time jobs in the green economy – again, no real change since 2014. The low-carbon and renewable energy economy includes manufacturing, energy supply and construction.

Responding to the data, Prospect senior deputy general secretary, Sue Ferns said:

“The ONS figures demonstrate the importance of looking beyond the rhetoric to the reality. If we are serious about achieving Net Zero and creating a thriving, low-carbon economy with well-paid and high-skilled jobs, then much more attention needs to be given to building UK supply chains and developing good career opportunities for a more diverse workforce.”

This is the seventh occasion the ONS has reported on its LCREE survey, which sampled more than 24,000 businesses across the UK.

More information: ONS website.