Building The Net Zero Energy Workforce - Need to Recruit 400,000

21st August 2023

Find out more about the Net Zero Energy Workforce Report from the National Grid, which explores the employment opportunities and skills required to help the UK's energy sector reach net zero by 2050.

The UK is on a journey to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The energy sector plays a vital part in helping the country to make this transformational change, but to deliver on this ambition we need to build a Net Zero Energy Workforce*. We need people with the talent, the drive and the passion to help us tackle climate change.

Our Building the Net Zero Energy Workforce Report looks at what skills and expertise the energy sector will need to help the UK reach its emissions target. Working with independent research partner Development Economics and YouGov we discovered that our industry needs to recruit for 400,000 jobs between now and 2050 to get the UK to net zero.

These opportunities will open up around the country, and will require a diverse mix of skills, from scientists and engineers, to communications professionals and data specialists.

There's a lot of work to be done to attract the brightest and the best people to help us transform the energy industry to deliver a greener, cleaner future. For us it's The Job That Can't Wait.

Building the Net Zero Workforce: an overview
Climate change is the defining challenge of this generation. The decisions we take now will influence the future of our planet and life on earth. We know what we have to do: change the way we live to curb harmful emissions and reach net zero by 2050.
To succeed, every industry, workplace and home will need clean energy. Transforming our national infrastructure so we can generate and distribute clean energy takes time - and the clock is ticking. The energy sector must lead the way and act now to set the UK on the right course.

This decade alone, the industry must:
increase low carbon electricity generation by c.50%, from sources such as wind or solar power

install low carbon heating systems in c.2.8 million homes

develop carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) technology, and develop hydrogen networks

install c.60,000 charging points to power c.11 million electric vehicles (EVs).

Viable technologies are emerging. The political commitment is there. Investment will be needed. But none of this will happen if we don't have the right people, with the right skills to deliver. Motivated to tackle climate change, equipped with the skills to transform our energy grid - the UK needs a Net Zero Energy Workforce.

Read the report HERE
29 Pages