Deloitte and IEMA launch report to build green skills across the UK’s workforce

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Deloitte and IEMA, the professional body for environment and sustainability specialists, have launched a new report outlining how organizations can accelerate the development of green skills across the UK workforce.

According to the research, 75 percent of senior sustainability professionals think that all jobs will require ‘green’ or sustainability skills by 2050, with the findings highlighting that sustainability professionals are increasingly being involved in high-level discussions and long-term decision-making.

Despite this, public understanding of green jobs and skills is currently low. YouGov research commissioned for the report’s launch found that 56 percent of British consumers have never heard of the term ‘green job’ while 64 percent don’t understand the term ‘green skills’ and 62 percent don’t understand the difference between green skills and green jobs. Meanwhile, 65 percent say they don’t have access to green skills training through their employer.

Sarah Mukherjee MBE, CEO of IEMA, said: “It is absolutely crucial that we address the climate crisis now. We believe that every job must be greener to tackle our greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a Net Zero status by 2050. The latest IPCC report highlighted a small window of opportunity to act. As the majority of the workforce are in place already, we really must help organizations assess the readiness of their staff to participate in the ‘green economy’ and to identify the practical steps that can be taken to increase preparedness. I am delighted to be working with Deloitte to help businesses adapt and train their workforce in tackling climate change.”

Matt Guest, lead partner for Deloitte‘s net zero consulting practice, said: “Every worker, team and organization has a part to play in mitigating climate change, repairing environmental damage and ensuring that the UK’s net zero ambitions are met. Leaders must act now to understand the green skills that will be needed across their entire organization, build a strategy for how to upskill their teams in sustainability and ensure they have investment lined-up to deliver change. With sustainability professionals in high demand, organizations that take steps today to invest in green skills across their workforce will be the first to transition to the green economy, creating new business opportunities and jobs in the process.”