Scotland outpacing rest of the UK with green jobs, new figures show

The latest Green Jobs Barometer report by accountancy group PwC, published on Monday, has revealed Scotland has the highest proportion of green job advertisements of any of the UK’s nations and regions, at 5.6%. compared to the UK average of 3.3%.

The total number of green roles advertised in Scotland this year is around 28,700, approximately 2200 (8.3%) more than 2023 and three times higher than in 2021.

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The report – now in its fourth year – measures the relative performance of the UK’s regions, nations and industry sectors on their progress developing green jobs over time.

Responding to the latest figures, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes (below) said: “This report confirms that Scotland is leading the UK on the just transition to net zero.

“The Scottish Government’s focus on supporting green growth is attracting global investment and the skilled jobs that follow.

“The increase in green jobs is also impacting the wider economy, with PwC calculating that for every new 10 green roles, a further 28 jobs are created elsewhere.”

Forbes highlighted the Scottish Government’s Green Industrial strategy, which she said “confirms our determination to continue to work with the private sector to back emerging technologies and make Scotland a natural home for green finance”.

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She added: “There is still much work to do, but we are beginning to see the benefits of being at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, transforming our economy while protecting the planet.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater welcomed the report, but said the industry and the Scottish Government needed to “double down” on securing green jobs.

“Scotland can seize the opportunities of a green economy to undo the climate and economic chaos of consecutive Westminster governments,” Slater (below) told The National.

“We need a just transition that is not just an energy transition, but also a transformation of our economy, and our society.

“These new statistics show that Scotland has already started on this journey, but we must now see the Scottish Government and industry double down on clean, green jobs to support workers in the just transition from fossil fuels and also to create a better future for our communities.

“During the Scottish Greens time in government, we saw the number of green jobs sky-rocket across the country, really showing that if you want green, you have to vote green.”