Explainer-in-brief: Britain needs to up its game on green jobs
The UK risks losing out to competitor businesses in Europe, America and Asia, unless it heavily invests in factories for green technology over the next five years, according to analysis by think tank Onward. Nearly 250,000 jobs are at risk in carbon-intensive industries in Red Wall seats. In order to boost renewable energy and electric vehicle manufacturing in these areas, there will need to be significant re-skilling programs, the report said.
The Conservative Party is increasingly concerned about its ability to hold onto constituencies in the North, with a handful of MPs resigning from politics.
The report, backed by over 20 Conservative MPs including Simon Clarke and Andrea Leadsom, recommends tax breaks for green factories and a copycat model of the cash incentives offered in the US and the EU to build “gigafactories”.
Both the EU and the US are in a trade war of sorts because of state aid rules for climate friendly companies, with Joe Biden offering significant tax incentives.