Nearly 6000 jobs for Wales if councils tackle climate change

25 June 2009

If local authorities in Wales insulated buildings and fitted green energy, they could create more than 5,700 jobs as well as slashing climate-changing emissions, according to independent research released by Friends of the Earth Cymru today (Thursday 25 June).

On the day that the Welsh Assembly Government launches its consultation on a climate change action plan for Wales, Friends of the Earth Cymru is unveiling Get Serious about CO2, a new campaign calling on local authorities to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 and produce action plans detailing how they will make the cuts.

The research by social enterprise and environment experts Carbon Descent analyses the manpower required to insulate homes and businesses and install green energy on buildings, which are two of the key ways in which councils could achieve a reduction in their emissions at least 40 per cent by 2020.

New jobs could be available as loft laggers, architects, plumbers, builders, electricians, plasterers and insulation specialists - with new admin, transit and warehouse positions also created to support the installation of insulation and renewable energy.

Gordon James, director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "The target of a 40 per cent reduction in emissions by local authorities should be a key part of the Assembly Government's climate change action plan.

"With the economy in such a sorry state at the moment, Wales could really use the boost from nearly 6,000 new local jobs insulating homes and installing renewable energy.

"Local authorities have a big say over local energy, housing and transport, so we are urging them to make full use of their powers. If they fully insulated buildings and fitted them with green energy, they would create jobs, slash carbon dioxide emissions and reduce people's fuel bills."

NOTES

1. Carbon Descent is an independent social enterprise and environmental trust that creates strategies and delivers solutions that measurably reduce carbon footprints. Carbon Descent has worked in the key areas of energy, resource use, transport, the built environment and renewables for over 10 years, partnering with local authorities, private business, charities and communities. http://www.carbondescent.org.uk/

2. The figure of 5,707 potential jobs was calculated from a model developed by Carbon Descent based on how many man hours it would take to fit insulation and renewable energy in a local authority area, with each job to last for a period of 10 years. The figure was calculated from:

• Estimates from five local authorities in Wales (Anglesey, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Denbigh and Monmouthshire) of the number of homes with cavity walls but without cavity wall insulation; the number of homes without good loft insulation and the potential number of combined heat and power schemes. This data was mainly obtained from the Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Efficiency Database.

• Data from Carbon Descent's study on the extent of measures that would be necessary for councils to cut emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020. This data was extrapolated for the size of Wales (2,903,000).

3. Friends of the Earth's campaign - Get Serious About CO2 - is calling on Welsh councils to commit cutting carbon dioxide in the local area by at least 40 per cent by 2020 - and produce an action plan detailing how it's going to happen. The campaign is also calling for more money and less hassle for councils to do things like improve public transport, insulate more homes and install green energy, and for a new duty on councils that fail to act on climate change.