Progress Report: How Well Has the Government Delivered, 56 Days into Office?

How Well Has the Government Delivered on Its Climate Promises, 56 Days into Office?

Promise #1: Creating a “broader, richer, cutting-edge curriculum” across UK schools

One of Labour’s key manifesto promises was to create a “broader, richer, cutting-edge curriculum” across UK schools. We believe that a curriculum simply cannot be “richer” or more “cutting-edge” without the inclusion of comprehensive and integrated climate education, allowing students to gain the skills required to deal with their futures. Earlier this year, Cambridge commissioned a multi-nation YouGov survey which showed 58% of UK adults polled thought an educational focus on climate change would prepare students for jobs in the green economy. Additionally, a recent debate by the House of Lords Education for 11–16 Year Olds Committee suggested that any future reviews of secondary education must incorporate climate education, citing our work on the curriculum.

Thus, we were thrilled when the National Policy Forum adopted the Climate Education Bill prior to the election, with Keir Starmer, Ed Miliband and Bridget Phillipson all voicing their public support for the bill.

Since the Election, the government has announced a Curriculum and Assessment review of the KS1 - KS5 (age 5 - 19) education system, naming leading education expert Professor Becky Francis as review chair. Professor Francis’ career has so far focused on making educational attainment more equitable and attainable for all, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We are hoping to collaborate with her and her team on the Review; whilst we aren't aware of any further movement on this review since its announcement on the 19^th of July, it is expected to be complete by early 2025.

Why is climate education so important?

According to recent research, climate anxiety is notably prevalent amongst Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with a whopping 59% of young people aged 16-25 reporting they are very or extremely worried about climate change, and 84% at least moderately worried. However, our current education curriculum is woefully inadequate: students aren’t being prepared to face the effects of climate change or taught to understand the solutions.

In the words of Christine Özden, global director for climate education at the Cambridge University Press & Assessment: the government must, through education, “[empower] students with skills and knowledge to adapt to new career opportunities in emerging green industries and to better understand and respond to the climate crisis."

Promise #2: Creating 650,000 new 'green jobs'

The government has pledged to create 650,000 new green jobs, which are roles focused on preserving or restoring the environment. Green jobs are essential for driving the transition to a sustainable economy and tackling climate change.

The previous government made some strides in this area by establishing the Green Jobs Delivery Group and Green Jobs Taskforce, bringing together leaders from trade unions and various skills sectors. The Delivery Group is expected to release a Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan later this year, building on work done over the past 3.5 years. This Action Plan will:

• Offer a sector-by-sector analysis to identify the specific green skills needed to build a talent pipeline for the net zero economy.
• Support the creation of up to 650,000 new low-carbon jobs by 2030.
• Acknowledge that green jobs are growing nearly four times faster than overall UK employment.
• Help workers in high-carbon industries transition to low-carbon roles.

Task and finish groups within the Delivery Group have been created to conduct in-depth research and workforce assessments across different sectors to inform the Action Plan. Recent progress, according to the Delivery Group’s Summer 2023 Statement, includes:

• Nature Group: Launched a careers hub, Green Jobs for Nature, to promote nature-based careers; collaborated with the National Careers Service to engage with career advisors; and researched non-degree entry points and barriers to diversity in green jobs.
• Local Capacity and Capability Group: The Local Government Association hosted a roundtable in early 2023 to gather evidence for mapping major local and regional infrastructure projects. They identified key themes, including defining green jobs, mapping projects, creating a local green workforce, and place-based delivery mechanisms.
• Resources and Waste Group: The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) published a report in March 2023 titled *Beyond Waste: Essential Skills for a Greener Tomorrow*, outlining the skills needed for the resources and waste sector to contribute to the green industrial revolution.

As such, it would be difficult to assess the government’s capability to create new green jobs until the publication of the Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan. We will keep an eye out for this and conduct a deeper analysis of the Plan once it is published.

Why are green jobs so important?

Green jobs are critical because there is a looming global green skills gap, with demand for green skills growing almost twice as fast as the supply of green talent. This gap could make it difficult for people to find quality jobs in an already competitive market.

Currently, jobs requiring green skills make up over 30% of UK job listings. However, 65% of British adults believe they don’t have access to green skills training, 56% have never heard of the term "green job," and 64% are unaware of the term "green skills." This highlights the urgent need for swift policy interventions to build a greener workforce.

For people to enter the green workforce, they need access to robust climate education that equips them with the necessary green skills. Therefore, advancing climate education and green jobs must go hand in hand—one cannot succeed without the other.

Promise #3: Establish 'Great British Energy' to Power the UK with Clean Energy by 2030

Before the election, Labour pledged to create "Great British Energy," a publicly owned energy company aimed at powering the UK entirely with clean energy by 2030. The company, capitalised with £8.3bn over the 5-year parliament, seeks to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and enhance the UK’s energy independence.

The government has already taken steps towards this goal, particularly through strategic partnerships. On 25th July, a major partnership was announced between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate, a business managing diverse real estate assets across the UK, including offshore wind and renewable energy technologies. This collaboration will:

• Develop new offshore wind projects, providing an additional 20-30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 to meet the UK's energy needs, and attracting an estimated £30-60 billion in private investment.
• Support emerging technologies such as floating wind, hydrogen, carbon capture, and tidal energy, keeping Britain at the forefront of the global energy transition.
• Invest in ports and clean energy supply chains, addressing current bottlenecks and speeding up the delivery of renewable projects.
• Reduce risks for developers in future projects, including upcoming leasing rounds, to enable faster and more efficient project completion.

Additionally, discussions are underway with the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland to explore how Great British Energy can support development and investment across Scotland, with plans to extend similar collaborations to all four devolved nations. The government has also started recruiting staff to help set up GB energy, with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has posting job adverts on LinkedIn for “mid-senior level” positions.

The Founding Statement of Great British Energy outlines the next steps to advance the development of Great British Energy, which include:

• Establishing a clear framework detailing the relationship and expectations between the government and Great British Energy, ensuring independent operation with effective oversight.
• Engaging with the private sector to foster collaboration and investment opportunities.
• Selecting a headquarters location in Scotland to serve as the central hub for operations – this is said to be revealed in the next month.
• Recruiting key personnel to build a strong and effective organisational team.
• Conducting comprehensive stakeholder engagement to refine policies and strategies moving forward.

Through these efforts, Great British Energy aims to transform the UK's energy landscape, making clean, affordable, and secure energy a reality by 2030.

Whilst this is all well and good, it remains to be seen whether GBE will successfully attract the investment it needs, by de-risking areas that the private sector is less willing to invest in. It would also be wise to temper expectations regarding how quickly Great British Energy can actually bring bills down: As National Grid and others ramp up spending, it's certain that the "network costs" component of our energy bills will rise; this is how energy infrastructure is funded. Whilst we are likely to reach a point when increased electricity from wind, solar, and nuclear sources reduce costs for consumers, experts have warned that this is unlikely to occur until the next parliament’s term.

How Retrofitting can help bring down energy bills and the transition towards net zero

Retrofitting, which entails adding sustainable technology to existing buildings, can contribute to the government’s Net Zero by 2030 goal.

The RAAC concrete scandal in 2023 - in which 234 schools in England were found to be built with an unsafe and potentially collapsing material - demonstrated something that students and teachers have known for a long time: our schools are in urgent need of a fix-up.

Meanwhile, 2,945 schools have signed on to go zero-carbon by 2030. They want to be teaching in decent, environmentally friendly buildings so that their students can be engaging with a sustainable environment every day.

Without more funding, this will be impossible. We’re once again calling on the government to fund the retrofitting and rebuilding of schools - cutting energy costs for schools and providing better learning environments for students, and helping the UK reach its net-zero goals.

Beyond the environmental benefits, retrofitting educational campuses also presents a valuable opportunity to teach the next generation about sustainability through practical, concrete (no pun intended) examples. By embedding sustainable practices into students’ consciousness from an early age, educational institutions can cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation for sustainable development among future leaders and professionals.

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