Net zero jobs: the impact of the transition to net zero on the UK labour market

The UK Government's commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will mean investment, and change, across the economy: from the decarbonisation of buildings and surface transport, to shifts in diet, aviation and industry. These changes will affect the UK public, both as consumers and as workers. Green jobs are generally defined as those that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment whereas brown jobs are those contributing to pollution and exhaustion of natural resources.

This briefing note explores the impact that the net zero transition will have on the UK labour force, by setting out the types of 'green' and 'brown' jobs that are most likely to experience change, analysing core differences in the workers that are employed in these jobs, and in the type of tasks that they typically perform. We also examine how green and brown jobs have changed over time, and in particular consider the origins of green job workers today, including the share of workers that move from a brown job into a green job, and the key characteristics of those making such a move.

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