Why we need to talk about the skills needed for net zero

Steve Holliday of the Energy Institute emphasizes that the transition to net zero requires a massive scale-up of skilled workers, warning that without a government-led skills strategy, the UK risks leaving existing energy workers stranded and failing to meet the demand for new roles in clean energy.

• The transition to net zero will require a significant influx of new talent, with estimates suggesting up to 400,000 new recruits into the energy industry by 2050. More than half of these roles are expected to be positions that do not currently exist, spanning engineering as well as digitalisation, data, and behaviour change.
• While many current energy professionals are motivated by the climate crisis and are training for net zero, there is a risk that workers in oil and gas production and energy-intensive industries could be left behind. The author notes that the loss of coal mining jobs in the 20th century continues to impact UK communities, serving as a warning for the current transition.
• The UK possesses exportable capabilities in carbon management, CCUS, and offshore wind that could support other nations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• To secure the necessary workforce, the author calls for a 'push' in the form of a far-sighted net zero skills strategy where the government and industry collaborate to identify talent gaps and provide training, complemented by a 'pull' created by stable, long-term energy policy and commercial drivers.

APA

Holliday, S. (2021). Why we need to talk about the skills needed for net zero. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/why-we-need-to-talk-about-the-skills-needed-for-net-zero/

Chicago

Holliday, Steve. Why we need to talk about the skills needed for net zero. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/why-we-need-to-talk-about-the-skills-needed-for-net-zero/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Holliday |first1=Steve |title=Why we need to talk about the skills needed for net zero |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=22 August 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/why-we-need-to-talk-about-the-skills-needed-for-net-zero/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{holliday2021why, author = {Holliday, Steve}, title = {{Why we need to talk about the skills needed for net zero}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/why-we-need-to-talk-about-the-skills-needed-for-net-zero/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }