Environmental manufacturing jobs 'set to grow'

The number of people in manufacturing jobs in the renewables sector is set to rapidly increase in the coming years, it has been claimed.

According to the Environmental Audit Commission's second report on green jobs and skills, the UK can take advantage of the 'green revolution' and help to create thousands more manufacturing jobs in the process.

Currently the country has 16,000 people in jobs in the renewables sector, but it is claimed this could rise to 130,000 as the UK aims to reach environmental targets by 2020.

The report also detailed the industries which are likely to be strongly affected by climate change and associated issues, specifically those which produce carbon-dependent products or services, such as car manufacturers or non-renewable energy producers.

It follows the recent publication of data from the Office for National Statistics, which showed that year-on-year production output for UK manufacturing was 8.4 per cent lower in October this year than at the same point in 2008, with the machinery and equipment industry hardest hit after a decrease of 17.8 per cent.

Posted by Chris Hatch