Most workers back climate action by their employer, but 1 in 4 worry green jobs are not being created in their local area

• NEW POLL: working people want more government climate action, more green job creation and more re-training support  

Workers back climate action and want more opportunity to help shape how their employer cuts carbon emissions, according to research published today by the TUC (polling by Britain Thinks) ahead of the release of official statistics on the UK’s green industries. 

Workers back climate action 

The vast majority (86%) of workers support the UK moving to a greener economy to tackle climate change, with even greater support among younger workers.  

But workers are concerned that climate action is not creating enough jobs so far. Only a quarter (25%) of workers believe that current government climate action is creating new jobs in their local area, compared to nearly half (45%) who believe that it could do in the future.

Last year’s official green economy statistics, published by the ONS, showed the number of jobs in green industries fell by 15% between 2014 and 2019, even as green economy turnover stayed practically constant.  

Only a quarter of workers (26%) agree that the government is doing enough to move the UK to a green economy, compared with four in ten (40%) who agree that the government is not doing enough.  

Most workers (78%) agree that the government should invest in re-training and re-skilling workers for a greener economy, with just 3% disagreeing. 

Workers want a say on climate action in their workplace  

Two in three workers (65%) want their employer to actively help tackle climate change. But only one in three (33%) say that their employer has taken action. 

Most workers (71%) believe employers should consult with them about how to tackle climate change in their workplace. But only one in eight (13%) has been consulted. And this drops to on in ten (10%) of workers earning less than £29,000. 

The TUC is calling on the UK government and employers to support climate action. 

Almost 60,000 jobs could be created in Wales in the next two years through government investment in key infrastructure projects. 

This research – carried out for the Wales TUC by Transition Economics – shows that fast-tracking spending on projects such as social housing, public transport, and decarbonisation could make a significant contribution to the economic recovery. 

Broken down by sector, projected job creation from a £6bn investment in infrastructure would mean:  

• 27,000 jobs in housing construction and energy efficiency retrofits
• 18,000 jobs in transport upgrades
• 9,000 jobs in energy, manufacturing, and broadband infrastructure upgrades
• 5,000 jobs in land, forestry, and agriculture improvements.

The union body says: 

• Government must invest £85 billion to upgrade our homes, infrastructure, and industry for a green future 
• Employers must to cooperate with their workforce and unions to work towards a just and timely climate action plan 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:  

“Workers are ready for a green jobs revolution. They recognise it’s what’s needed to boost the economy and tackle the climate crisis. But the UK government isn’t doing enough to create good new jobs and support existing industries that could benefit from decarbonisation.  

“Across the country workers and unions are coming together to innovate and create worker-led decarbonisation plans. Now is the time for UK government and employers to listen to their calls for climate action.”