The North East will need to recruit more than 21,000 people into its energy sector if the UK is to hit its target to deliver net zero emissions by 2050, new research says.
The National Grid report says the industry will need to fill 400,000 jobs across Britain in order to meet the goal.
And the North East will play a crucial role in helping the UK to hit net zero emissions, with 21,500 jobs in the next thirty years.
This number is fuelled by projects such as the North Sea Link at Blyth, which is constructing an electricity link between Norway and the UK via high voltage subsea cables.
The employment and skills impact of the 2050 target is explored in a new report from National Grid, ‘Building the Net Zero Energy Workforce’.
Written in partnership with Development Economics, the report looks at the implications of the Committee on Climate Change’s advice that net zero will require fundamental changes to how energy is generated, distributed and used.
These changes, which include an increase of electrification to support a widespread shift to electric vehicles as well as the introduction of low carbon heating for millions of homes, will "offer employment opportunities the length and breadth of the country," National Grid says.
In the North East, for example, the research shows more than 21,000 new recruits will be needed to deliver projects such as offshore wind and the interconnector off the coast of Blyth in Northumberland.
Almost 28,000 roles will be needed to work on projects including the further development of offshore wind farms in the East of England, while the development of carbon capture and storage in the Yorkshire and Humber region is projected to support the creation of over 17,000 jobs.
In Scotland, workers with net zero-related skills will be needed to fill over 48,000 jobs by 2050 with a further 25,000 roles expected in Wales.
Nicola Shaw CBE, Executive Director of National Grid, said: “Britain reached a major milestone last year as we saw zero carbon electricity outstrip fossil fuels for the first time. But there’s still a long way to go. As the pathway to net zero becomes clearer, so must our understanding of the jobs and skills we need to succeed.
“Our research shows that to deliver net zero, the energy industry needs to recruit hundreds of thousands of people over the next thirty years – and that really is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the wider impact of net zero across other industries.
"The time is now for the sector to rise to the challenge and overcome the long-standing issues we face in recruiting a diverse workforce with the right skills to deliver on the UK’s ambitions.”
