Home / Sources / Select Committees / Environmental Audit Committee / Green Jobs
Index live
Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee

Green Jobs

Status: Closed Opened: 17 Nov 2020 Closed: 27 Jul 2022 27 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

The Environmental Audit Committee is launching an inquiry into Green Jobs. The inquiry will look at how green jobs can help tackle the expected rise in unemployment due to COVID-19 in a sustainable way. It will also look at the jobs, skills and training needed to achieve the UK’s longer-term climate and environmental ambitions and … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Green Jobs HC 75 25 Oct 2021 38 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
6 Recommendation Third Report - Green Jobs Deferred

We recommend that by the end of 2021 the department or body with overall responsibility...

We recommend that by the end of 2021 the department or body with overall responsibility for delivery of the Government’s green jobs policies should, in collaboration with the different departments engaged in green jobs policy, assign indicative costings to each department’s actions within the overall green jobs delivery plan. This … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states that while Green Jobs Taskforce recommendations informed Spending Review 2021 and Net Zero Strategy allocations, it is not possible to set out further indicative costings or funding requirements at this point due to ongoing policy development.
Read full response →
8 Recommendation Third Report - Green Jobs Deferred

We recommend that the Government’s net zero and environmental goals are considered at the design...

We recommend that the Government’s net zero and environmental goals are considered at the design stage of future labour market interventions, to ensure that such interventions are fully aligned with the green recovery.

Government response AI summary
The government notes that DWP is 'exploring opportunities' to better integrate net zero and environmental goals into the design stage of future labour market interventions, potentially through developing a checklist. However, this indicates consideration for future action rather than a firm commitment to immediately implement …
Read full response →
16 Recommendation Third Report - Green Jobs Deferred

We recommend that Defra’s Skills Gap Plan cover all areas of the 25 Year Environment...

We recommend that Defra’s Skills Gap Plan cover all areas of the 25 Year Environment Plan and be accompanied by an Action Plan to address skills shortages, developed in co-ordination with the Department for Education and stakeholders. The Skills Gap Plan and Action Plan ought to be published by March … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government stated it is undertaking a statutory review of the 25 Year Environment Plan, to be completed by January 2023, which will consider skills needs. Defra is working with DfE to identify key skills, and an interim update will be provided to Parliament in …
Read full response →
29 Recommendation Third Report - Green Jobs Deferred

Extending the equivalent or lower funding rule exemption to full-time science, technology, engineering and mathematics...

Extending the equivalent or lower funding rule exemption to full-time science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and geographical and environmental courses would allow quicker retraining in higher level skills needed in the future green economy. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government explained existing ELQ exemptions and committed to consulting on the detail and scope of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) from 2025, which will include seeking views on amending restrictions on previous study to facilitate retraining.
Read full response →
30 Recommendation Third Report - Green Jobs Deferred

We recommend that the Government extend the equivalent or lower funding rule exemption to full-time...

We recommend that the Government extend the equivalent or lower funding rule exemption to full-time STEM and geographical and environmental courses from 2022/23.

Government response AI summary
The government does not commit to extending the ELQ exemption, instead deferring the issue to a future consultation on the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE), which will be introduced in 2025, and mentions piloting short courses for upskilling in STEM as part of the LLE pathway.
Read full response →

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
9 Jun 2021 Amy Jenkins · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Gillian Keegan MP · Department for Education, Jessica Hodgson · Department for Work and Pensions, Jon Boswell · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mims Davies MP · Department for Work and Pensions, Rebecca Pow MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP · Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Sinead O’Sullivan · Department for Education View ↗
12 May 2021 Andrew Mennear · BP, Dr Adam Read · SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd, Jane Cooper · Orsted, Peter Walters · Chemical Industries Association, Venetia Knight · Groundwork View ↗
3 Mar 2021 Graham Petersen · Greener Jobs Alliance, Kevin Bentley · Local Government Association’s People & Places Board, Lee Jowett · National Association for Environmental Education, Meg Baker · Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK), Mr Iain Patton · EAUC - The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education, Ms Charlotte Bonner · Education and Training Foundation (ETF), Richard Kendall · Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, Samantha Smith · Just Transition Centre View ↗
3 Feb 2021 Josie Fraser · Open University, Libby Peake · Green Alliance, Luke Murphy · Institute for Public Policy Research, Mike Hemsley · Climate Change Committee, Mr Martin Baxter · Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, Sue Ferns · Prospect Trade Union View ↗

Who gave evidence

27 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Amy Jenkins · Deputy Director, Clean Growth, Green Finance and … Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1
Andrew Mennear · Director, UK Government Affairs BP 1
Dr Adam Read · External Affairs Director SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd 1
Gillian Keegan MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister … Department for Education 1
Graham Petersen · Secretary Greener Jobs Alliance 1
Jane Cooper · UK Stakeholder Relations & Regulatory Affairs Orsted 1
Jessica Hodgson · Deputy Director for Labour Market Strategy Department for Work and Pensions 1
Jon Boswell · Head of Strategic Funding, Green Finance Division Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Josie Fraser · Deputy Vice Chancellor Open University 1
Kevin Bentley · Chair Local Government Association’s People & Places Board 1
Lee Jowett · Fellow National Association for Environmental Education 1
Libby Peake · Head of Resource Policy Green Alliance 1
Luke Murphy · Associate Director for Energy, Climate, Housing a… Institute for Public Policy Research 1
Meg Baker · Director of Education Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) 1
Mike Hemsley · Team Leader, Carbon Budgets Climate Change Committee 1
Mims Davies MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister … Department for Work and Pensions 1
Mr Iain Patton · Chief Executive Officer EAUC - The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education 1
Mr Martin Baxter · Director of Policy and External Affairs and Deput… Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment 1
Ms Charlotte Bonner · National Head of Education for Sustainable Develo… Education and Training Foundation (ETF) 1
Peter Walters · Head of Environment and Sustainability Chemical Industries Association 1
Rebecca Pow MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Richard Kendall · Executive Director Humber Local Enterprise Partnership 1
Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP · Minister of State (Minister for Business, Energy … Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1
Samantha Smith · Director Just Transition Centre 1
Sinead O’Sullivan · Director, Career Learning, Analysis and Skills Di… Department for Education 1
Sue Ferns · Senior Deputy General Secretary Prospect Trade Union 1
Venetia Knight · Head of Employment and Enterprise at Groundwork G… Groundwork 1

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
23 Feb 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change (…
20 Jan 2022 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Indust…
9 Sep 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change, …
26 Nov 2020 — Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial …