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This report argues that the UK government has an opportunity to create new jobs and drive economic growth through expanding the circular economy. This sees products and resources kept in use for as long as possible through reuse, recovery, remanufacturing and recycling. Through mapping the six activities of a circular economy onto employment data, the report estimates how different levels of growth in the circular economy could boost job numbers, where those jobs are likely to be and at what skill levels. Estimates are that the government could help to create over 450,000 jobs in the circular economy by 2035. An ambitious approach to reuse, repair and remanufacturing would also lead to jobs being created more evenly across the regions of the UK.

Crucially, a plan to transform the circular economy would create thousands of new jobs in those occupations suffering higher rates of unemployment. This could mean opportunities for engineers at a new biorefining plant in the North East, skilled repairers of machinery and electronics finding new roles in the West Midlands and more recycling operatives across the country, along with the associated new administrative jobs required, including administrators and purchasing managers. However, the report suggests that if the government continues 'business as usual', jobs created will be concentrated in London and the south east, rather than stretched across the north, the midlands and Wales where unemployment is higher.

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The UK has made significant commitments to both low carbon heating and energy efficiency. However little progress has been made and the country has fallen far behind the rest Europe. A key challenge is how the UK will develop the workforce required to deliver retrofitting targets. New research from [Overseas Development Institute] ODI and Green Alliance explores labour shortages and skills gaps in depth and asks a new question: should the UK seek to use immigration policy to support a rapid scale-up of retrofitting in the context of its decarbonisation targets?

This paper suggests five immigration policy options to support the development of the UK's retrofitting workforce: 1. Create an umbrella sponsorship model for the construction sector to support firms in international recruitment; 2. Create a tailored net zero workforce visa category; 3. Make the skilled worker route less costly, using special provisions to significantly lower fees across retrofitting-related occupations; 4. Develop retrofitting skills mobility partnerships to create a pipeline of workers; 5. Increase upskilling and recruitment of refugees under the UK's Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot, prioritising applicants with retrofitting-related skillsets.

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This paper proposes that training up the workforce will enable the UK government to marry its environmental aims with its economic and social ambitions. The UK is facing acute skills shortages across the sectors it most urgently needs to decarbonise. In this report, we scan the UK's green skills landscape, mapping the industries that require the most support in filling positions in the future, and where investment may be needed to boost skills. We identify those gaps by clarifying which industries are sufficiently prepared to retrain, upskill and educate people to fulfil job requirements, and which are not. We find that the government can deliver on both its net zero and levelling up agendas by developing a new green skills programme. The programme envisaged will include practical measures for industry, such as a 'super skills deduction' for people as well as machinery, and support for individuals via loans and grants to reduce the risk of retraining. The paper concludes that these and other measures will build a workforce fit for the 2030s, filling good quality jobs across the country.

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