Rishi Sunak announced his Summer Economic Update to Parliament last week. Plans are to invest billions into the economy as further steps are being taken to reach the UK’s target of a zero-greenhouse gas emission by 2050.

What is a key priority for the ‘green recovery?’

Homes will be a major focus. Due to the age and structure of many buildings in the country, the UK’s housing is some of the least efficient in Europe. Heating them currently accounts for around a fifth of greenhouse gas emission in the UK. To counteract this, over £2bn is being provided to support homeowners and landlords to make their homes more efficient. 100,000 green jobs are being supported to achieve this. The scheme aims to upgrade over 600,000 homes across England.

Further to this, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme – The Clean Growth Strategy, set out the government’s goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions from the public sector by 2032. This will see £1bn over the next year being spent on grants to public sector bodies including schools and hospitals to fund energy efficient and low carbon heat upgrades.

What does this mean for jobs?

The report highlights jobs created would be primarily in the construction sector. The government will accelerate over £5bn of infrastructure projects to support the recovery of the economy. It will ‘help the UK build back better, build back greener and build back faster, and to unite and level up the regions.’

Further support from the government includes providing grants and loans for innovative companies. The Sustainable Innovation Fund will help speed up and commercialise pioneering ideas alongside supporting the sustainability objectives.

This stands as renewable energy projects begin to restart after Covid-19. The IEA recommends for policy makers that ‘Investing in renewables, whose costs continue to fall, can stimulate job creation and economic development while reducing emissions and fostering further innovation.’

What has the feedback been from the plan?

Despite taking measures to boost the green economy, the plan has mixed reactions.

Ramboll’s UK managing principal for environment & health Philippa Spence said: “The £3bn package to bolster green jobs is a welcome measure from the government, but further needs to be done to deliver a green revolution and reaffirm the UK as the undisputed leader in green innovation.”

Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK said of Mr Sunak’s announcements were “dwarfed by green recovery commitments in Germany and France.’ Although steps in the right direction are being taken to make the UK a greener place, the rate at which this is happening isn’t fast enough.”

RenewableUK’s Director of Strategic Communications Luke Clark said: “If we can support innovation and strategic investment in our offshore wind supply chain, alongside new cutting-edge technologies like renewable hydrogen and floating wind, the UK can be at the forefront of global growth sectors.”

Mike Childs, head of policy at Friends of the Earth, called the green homes grant, which applies to the whole of the UK, a good “stepping stone” but added it was “not yet a green recovery”.

Written by Steve Smith, Head of Inside Sales at Procorre