Leading voices from business, trade unions and academia have launched a new Future Energy Skills Board aimed at ensuring a just transition as we strengthen the country’s energy independence and build a green economy.

Co-Chaired by GMB General Secretary, Gary Smith and Centrica CEO, Chris O’Shea, the group – whose representatives together employ or represents more than 6 million British workers – will focus on opportunities to create the skilled workforce and corporate leadership that ensures Britain is a global leader in navigating the twin challenges of the transition to a low carbon future and the urgent need for greater energy resilience.

The group will build upon the work of Government-led initiatives including the Green Jobs Taskforce, and produce two reports:

  1. The first, examining the steps that can be taken to ensure we create careers for the future as the UK accelerates plans for energy independence in a more geopolitically challenging environment.
  2. The second, will explore how we ensure there is a just transition for the UK’s existing high carbon workforce as part of our pursuit of net zero.

The Programme will look at how we create domestic and international competitive advantage from home energy efficiency, tidal stream, hydrogen, electric vehicles, and clean heavy industry and how the existing oil and gas infrastructure can be repurposed for the future.

The Programme will also consider how we ensure that the high skilled jobs manufacturing the infrastructure for a more energy independent, low carbon nation are based in the UK, allowing this to become a major export revenue stream.

Co-Chair, Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: “Workers and their communities must be at the heart of our nation’s energy future. These voices are essential to ensuring the transition to a net-zero economy works for all. This programme brings together leaders from industry, trade unions and academia to use their expertise in tackling the twin challenges of transitioning to a low carbon future and the urgent need for greater energy resilience. The group will do so by focusing on the opportunities to create the skilled workforce and corporate leadership that ensures our country is a global leader.”

Co-Chair, Chris O’Shea, Centrica Group Chief Executive, said: “Delivering the transition to a net-zero economy has consequences for British industry, the future of thousands of workers and the communities in which they live. High amongst the challenges and opportunities is the need to retain and retrain our existing workforce and repurpose legacy infrastructure in a way that enables new industries to flourish and generates value for future generations. In the coming weeks we look forward to exploring how British workers and businesses can be best placed to make the most of these opportunities.”