Lowcarbonjobs

This assessment examines the economy-wide consequences for employment of policies encouraging investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy. It examines whether, how, to what extent and under what conditions such policies lead to net job creation in the implementing regions. The assessment is confined to OECD economies and covers all relevant policy measures with the exception of carbon taxes and carbon emission trading schemes.

The project set out to:

• clarify the relevant conceptual, definitional and methodological issues underlying the ‘green jobs’ debate
• identify the strengths and weaknesses of different methodological approaches for estimating employment impacts
• assess the level of the uncertainty associated with these estimates and the factors contributing to that uncertainty
• identify the assumptions behind different studies and the reasons for their different conclusions
• identify the research and data gaps
• draw conclusions on the employment implications of selected climate policies, including the conditions under which they may lead to net job creation in OECD economies over the short, medium and long-term.

Alongside the publications below, the project team responded to the Environmental Audit select committee’s call for evidence for their special report on A Green Economy. A paper was submitted as a form of written evidence at the end of February 2012. The committee published their report in May and the government response was filed on the 12 September 2012.