Green job growth concentrated in London and South East

Green jobs are growing around four times the rate of the overall UK employment market, with 2.2 per cent of all new jobs classed as green. However more than one-third of these roles are now based in London and the South East, with a dominance of professional and scientific roles.

The second edition of PwC’s Green Jobs Barometer has found that the number of green jobs advertised in the UK has almost trebled in the last year, equating to 336,000 positions, providing encouragement that the economy is becoming greener.

In the year to June 2022, every region of the UK saw green jobs accounting for a greater share of the job market, and the number of green jobs at least double in absolute terms.

Scotland has the highest proportion of green jobs, at 3.3 per cent (up from 1.7 per cent last year). London saw the second strongest increase in green jobs as a proportion of its job market, and by volume of jobs London and the South East are pulling away from the rest of the country.  Just 7,594 unique green job ads were for roles in the North East in 2022, compared to the significant 110,067 located across London and the South East.

The demand for green jobs in Scotland is being driven by the energy sector – a thriving energy hub, the region boasts the largest pool of energy-related skills in the UK, skills which are highly transferable to roles in the emerging renewables subsector.

Wales’ move up the table is down to a 30 per cent increase in the overall number of jobs advertised, plus a 150 per cent increase in green jobs, behind only London and Scotland. There was a strong demand for green roles in manufacturing, construction and professional services.

Conversely, Yorkshire and the Humber and Northern Ireland both fell six places with each having a green jobs proportion of 1.9 per cent – though both have improved from 1.2 per cent last year.

Lynne Baber, Sustainability Leader, PwC UK, said:  “Our economy, and our ambitions for net zero, rely on a greener workforce that can adapt to the changing demands of a changing planet – from the transition away from fossil fuels to the technology that will accelerate the pace at which we move towards net zero.

“Small businesses face the biggest barriers to transitioning to net zero. And, given SMEs make up the backbone of the UK’s economy, the simple truth is that we will not be able to seize the full opportunity of green jobs if more help is not offered to SMEs, especially in the regions outside Scotland, London and the South East.

“Businesses are now recognising the importance of putting their responsibilities to shareholders on the same level as other stakeholders, from employees to customers – and this mentality will help create yet more green jobs.”