In Dorset, 11,682 green jobs could virtually replace all the jobs lost to Covid in just two years.
On Saturday 24th April, 5 people, representing campaigners from across Dorset, formed an orderly queue outside MP Robert Syms’ office in Poole highlighting the 11,682 new jobs that could be created in Dorset in green infrastructure and care work in the next two years; nearly 1,600 of which would be in Robert Syms’ own constituency. Representing a cross section of ages and professions they held placards indicating the jobs total that could be created while forming a jobs queue with each representing the 2,336 people who could benefit from this programme.
The data, compiled by Green New Deal UK, shows that Dorset is likely to suffer more than 13,000 permanent job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than 85% of these losses could be replaced with jobs in new and existing industries. The same research shows that over a 10-year period more than 27,000 jobs could be created, replacing all the job losses projected over this timeframe.
The data includes jobs in sectors like solar energy, offshore wind, social care and energy efficiency – all of which are essential to the UK meeting its national and international climate targets.
With both of Dorset’s Councils declaring Climate and Ecological Emergencies many of these jobs would be critical in implementing the actions required to address these twin crises, while Dorset’s unemployment hotspots would benefit from the new positions created.
The County’s above average elderly population would also benefit from the provision of thousands of new jobs in the care sector while investment in public transport would start to address the lack of connections across rural districts where car ownership is currently an expensive necessity that creates traffic bottlenecks and air quality issues.
While an estimated 240,000 houses across the county would benefit from upgrading their standards of insulation, and current local initiatives are only able to transform numbers in the 100’s, this programme would see all homes brought up to the highest standards within a 10 year period; saving energy and dramatically reducing household bills.
Previous research from Green New Deal UK found that 1.2m green jobs could be created throughout Britain in the next two years at a cost of around £68bn – far less than the £100bn infrastructure investment commitment made last year.
This news comes at the same time that the Government has just cut air passenger duty on domestic flights, frozen fuel duty, invested £27 billion in a roads programme, tried to open a new coal mine and cut £1.5 billion from the flagship home energy efficiency programme.
Chloe Sutclliffe, Local Organiser, explained “Our research shows that you can tackle unemployment and create jobs whilst tackling climate change at the same time.
We know that we can’t afford not to do this. There’s an unemployment crisis and a climate crisis and a Green New Deal can create thousands of good green jobs right here in Dorset.
As a recent graduate, with skills that could be put to use in a programme like this, I know we are currently wasting the knowledge, qualifications and enthusiasm of people like myself who could help address these crises.
The Government could invest in these green jobs right now to boost our economic recovery, but they are refusing to. If you compare what we are spending to France and Germany and the US we are falling behind what is really needed to tackle unemployment and the recession, let alone sort out climate change.”
Even more encouraging is the fact that the data has been established using parameters that may understate Dorset’s potential, with green energy construction opportunities proportioned according to existing levels of manufacturing. With a local focus on increasing this type of technology in the county, exploring opportunities for increasing sea transport, developing sea grass projects, and revisiting the offshore wind farm proposal (none of which are in the current data) potential jobs numbers could increase even further.
Campaigners are asking supporters to raise the issue with their own MPs using the data available on the Green New Deal UK’s website , asking them to support the Green New Deal EDM 1766 and to raise general awareness of the campaign using #GreenJobsForAll
For further information please contact Green New Deal Dorset Spokesperson
Chloe Sutcliffe
Email [email protected]
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