Recent results from PwC’s Green Jobs Barometer have revealed that the number of green jobs advertised in the West Midlands has almost doubled in the last year.

The Green Jobs Barometer measures the relative performance of UK regions and industry sectors on their progress developing green jobs. Its data is based on five pillars: green job creation, wider benefits from green jobs, sunset jobs to disappear, carbon intensity of employment and green workplaces.

The 2022 results provide encouragement that the West Midlands economy is becoming greener, with 24,044 green opportunities advertised compared to just over 10,000 in 2021.

So, what is a green job? And what does this mean for the region?

What are “green jobs”?

In November 2020, the government launched the Green Jobs Taskforce in an attempt to deliver on the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and meet the UK’s legal commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The Taskforce concluded in July 2021 but it set the direction for the job market as we transition to a high-skill, low carbon economy. The group was asked to look at the following challenges and advise on how to realise the UK’s ambitions for green jobs:

• The skills needed to drive a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic
• The skills needed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
• How the UK can ensure green jobs are good jobs and open to all
• How workers in high carbon sectors can be supported to transition to the new green economy

With this in mind, the Taskforce defined a green job as “employment in an activity that directly contributes to – or indirectly supports – the achievement of the UK’s net zero emissions target and other environmental goals, such as nature restoration and mitigation against climate risks.”

Green jobs in the West Midlands

Data from the Green Jobs Barometer shows that green jobs accounted for 2.03% of total overall roles in the West Midlands in 2022, compared to 1% in 2021, with an overall increase of almost 135%.

As a company based in the West Midlands which places sustainability high on our agenda, we’re proud to see how the region is stepping up when it comes to green jobs. It’s clear that the demand for green skills and talent is high in the region and, with the huge increase in green jobs available, there has never been a better time for West Midlands workers to upskill in this area and make themselves more attractive in the job market.

When it comes to the bigger picture, the information and communication sector has a Green Jobs Barometer score of 54/100 throughout the UK and we look forward to seeing this increase over the years as more and more communications professionals recognise the importance of ESG.

As a Birmingham PR agency with a focus on social and environmental purpose, we’re already on this journey and offer a range of options to support our clients communicate their ESG credentials, so get in touch if you’d like our help!