Like other countries globally, the UK Government has thought on the lines to create more and more green jobs opportunities from 410,000 present to 2 million by 2030. The jobs which directly contribute to tackling climate change are called green jobs.
This major step to achieve an economy with minimum or zero fossil fuel emissions has put many other jobs at risk. The risk stays in reaching the targeted financial status of the country also, but experts say it brings a lot of opportunities to many people as part of the green jobs initiative
The changes that are being seen
The UK sees a rise in so-called green jobs, from huge wind farms (at sea and land) to discovering new devices to heat the houses (instead of traditional heating sources) to achieve zero emissions.
Gas boilers give out emissions containing carbon dioxide and methane and other gases, which increase the planet’s temperature. The International Energy Agency has opined that tank sales need to be stopped if the world meets its energy goals through green jobs.
In Livingston, near Edinburgh, the Mitsubishi Electric factory manufactures one such alternative for heating purposes, air-source heat pumps. The warmth from the atmosphere is drawn to heat the home and water, thus attaining a carbon-free process and becoming a green job.
One person who has been working in the production line for seven years in shaping the metal panels that house the units says that if the demand for this industry increases, there is no guarantee for job security. Hence finding a green job would stabilize his position. He also mentions that in 2019 around 900 such heat pumps were installed, which is expected to reach 15 000 by 2028.
Several sectors now getting impetus with green job changeover
Farming, where many emission procedures are included, is also getting new concepts like vertical gardening, soil-free farming, etc. One of the largest vertical farms in Europe, Jones Food Company at Scunthorpe, mainly grows basil in the vertical gardening method. Huge trays are stacked one above the other, saving space, all bathed in a gentle purple light and carefully fed with a controlled supply of nutrients. The trays are fed with recycled water. The power for the pumping water comes from a solar panel on the roof. This green job uses diesel-free machinery. Water is free of chemicals and crops are sold at the nearby marketplaces to avoid pollution due to transportation are some of the main features to save environmental costs.
One of the employees who felt bad about the pollution of the sea due to plastic and loss of the crops during harvesting, transportation and storage was inspired by this vertical gardening concept. Though the indoor farming green job is not new to the UK, nowadays, it has gained popularity and a full range of technology has made it sustainable, for which dozens of companies are planning this technique
One of the other more important sectors, which has gained popularity, is the wind turbine. Many wind turbines forests are coming up in the wetlands around the UK. This has led to a boom in off-shore building and maintenance. It is estimated that the green jobs associated with this sector may reach 70,000 by 2026 from 26,000 from now.
