UK ‘Renewable Energy: Made in Britain' Report

Report on employment and skills in the UK renewable energy sector to be launched with Greg Barker

23 April, 2012 - New research by the REA and Innovas reveals that the UK’s £12.5 billion renewables industry supports 110,000 jobs across supply chain, and could support 400,000 by 2020

‘Renewable Energy: Made in Britain,’ a ground-breaking new report from the REA [1] and Innovas, leaders in the low carbon economy field, will be launched tomorrow, on the eve of the Clean Energy Ministerial Summit [2]. REA and the report sponsors will hear from Energy Minister Greg Barker at the launch, which will take place at the award-winning headquarters of Renewable Energy Systems [3].

This report marks the first time that the turnover and employment figures of the entire UK renewables sector have been quantified and brought together in one place. The report finds that in 2010/11, the UK renewables industry was worth £12.5 billion and supported 110,000 jobs, with 400,000 in total required to meet the 2020 renewables targets [4]. The report also reveals:

*the overall increase in market value from 2009/10 to 2010/11 was 11% - outstripping economic growth over the same period (1.4%) by a factor of eight;

*meeting our renewable energy targets would displace fossil fuels with a cumulative value of £60 billion to 2020, giving a significant boost to the UK’s balance of trade.

These findings come just days after the European Commission identified the green economy as a “key sector” offering “important job creation potential,” with renewables alone claimed to provide up to 3 million jobs across the EU to 2020 [5]. Just today, Friends of the Earth revealed results of a survey which found that “85 per cent of Brits would like to see the Government increasing the use of clean British energy and reducing the use of overseas gas” [6].

Launching the report, REA Chief Executive Gaynor Hartnell said: read more>>>