Are you a Green Skills Policy Leader?

London’s policymakers – its funders, local authorities, government departments and philanthropic organisations – have a critical role to play in driving the green skills revolution.
The severe shortage of new workers, coupled with the urgent need to upskill the existing workforce, presents a major challenge in achieving the decarbonisation of commercial buildings across Central London. Addressing both embodied and operational reduced carbon emissions in the real estate sector is critical to our goal of reaching Net Zero throughout Greater London.
This is where your role becomes vital!
Resources
Illustration of a person gesturing towards a house emitting CO2, with birds carrying envelopes. Represents the role of policymakers in reducing carbon emissions and leading the green skills revolution.

Are you a Green Skills Policy Leader?

Central London’s Authorities
Central Government & GLA
Educators and training providers

Driving Change:
Green Skills and Climate Impact in Numbers

The Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce published its comprehensive evidence base on the scale of the green skills challenge for Central London’s commercial built environment in its

‘Skyline Skills Recommendations Report’

According to London Councils' September 2023 polling, 84% of Londoners are concerned about climate change.

According to a JLL audit, London's buildings are responsible for almost 80% of the city's carbon emissions, which is higher than the 60% median for other major cities.

The City of London Corporation's Climate Action Strategy includes a Leased Properties project to reduce emissions from its commercial and residential buildings, with a goal of acheiving net zero emissions by 2040.

Demand for sustainable or net-zero office space in London over the next decade is double the expected supply, according to research from JLL.

There are not enough people with the necessary sustainability skills to reduce carbon emissions at various project stages, including in construction, design, and in-use. As an example, in 2022, there were a mere 506 TrustMark retrofit co-coordinators accredited in the UK out of the 30,000 people needed for a 2030 government target.

The projected growth between 2023 and 2027 suggests that the labour demand in the Central London construction sector will be around 250,370 people by 2027.

The annual labour demand for green skills needed to improve the energy performance of Central London’s real estate rated D and below will be around 3,535 people a year, over the next five to 10 years. 

Institution of Engineering and Technology (2021) also found that nearly half (46%) of engineering employers were encountering “skills gaps or limitations within their internal workforce”.

Ready to access essential tools and resources and empower your impact as a policymaker?
Explore our collection of resources

For Central London’s Local Authorities

Local authorities have a key role in promoting green skills as they are both planning authorities, funders and deliverers of training and employment opportunities, and also major landholders. By using planning regulations and procurement rules, they can push for higher sustainability standards and social value outcomes. Local authorities can also lead by example by improving sustainability within their own assets.
The Greater London Authority’s London Plan mandates that all major developments be net zero, with a clear energy hierarchy. However, inconsistent sustainability requirements across Central London’s commercial properties hinder the demand for upskilling and recruitment in green roles.

There’s a significant opportunity for green jobs, projected to grow from 58,200 in 2020 to 151,700 by 2050. Demand is high across Central London boroughs for energy-efficient new builds and retrofitting existing properties.

In 2023, 113,000 workers were needed for commercial projects in Central London, making up over 45% of the construction labour demand in the area.

The Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce’s extensive research has generated the following objectives for London’s local authorities to drive the commercial green skills agenda
Policy-makers-illustration-7

Objective

Empower local authorities to set more ambitious sustainability and social value standards

Actions to Achieve This Objective

Leverage local authorities’ planning regulations and procurement rules to establish higher environmental standards for new builds and refurbishments, setting an example in their own developments.

Objective

Enhance and standardise planning requirements to promote sustainability credentials more effectively.

Actions to Achieve This Objective

Reform existing policy frameworks, such as the London Plan and the Local Plan, to make sustainability requirements clearer and more consistent, providing stronger incentives for workforce training.

Objective

Maximise the creation of green jobs in construction and refurbishment to meet growing demand for energy-efficient buildings.

Actions to Achieve This Objective

Encourage investment in training and workforce development to meet the anticipated demand for 113,000 construction workers in CLF districts by 2023, focusing on energy-efficient construction.

Objective

Develop a clear legislative framework and strategic guidance to support workforce readiness for the green built environment.

Actions to Achieve This Objective

Both local and national governments should collaborate to create consistent legislation and strategies that incentivise training providers and employers to prepare for future workforce demands.

For Central Government & GLA

As an officer or elected official of the Greater London Authority or a Government department, you have significant influence and potential to move the dial on green skills policy.
Local authorities have high ambitions for achieving net zero, with over 300 councils already declaring a climate emergency. They understand the need to act now to achieve net zero and mitigate climate change. These ambitions, however, can only be achieved if there is a skilled workforce and availability of good jobs, matched with the right support and investments to deliver them.
people

“It would be beneficial to have strategies devised at the national level to help mitigate the complexities at the local level, including pressure from developers and shifting national legislation”

  • Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP
  • Former Energy Minister
  • “Government’s independent Net Zero Review”
the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce
Since 2022, the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce has engaged widely with Central London’s commercial built environment employers, supply chain and training providers. It has learned:

There is a clear pipeline of commercial development work across the twelve Central London boroughs. Over 52% of all commercial properties across the twelve Central London boroughs are currently below an EPC C rating, the current minimum for new leases. Complying with Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulation alone will result in an expected surge in retrofit. Furthermore, from 2030, all non-domestic rented buildings must have an EPC rating of at least B, or a valid exemption.

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For new commercial projects requiring planning permission, 92% have refurbishment listed as the primary activity.

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Planning applications amounted to a combined total of 49 million square feet from across the Central London boroughs over 2019 to 2022. These are split approximately between 55% refurbishment and 45% new builds. This represents a significant volume of construction and refurbishment work.
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With the evidence for this pipeline clearly established, the GLA has a clear mandate to articulate this business case to industry and the training provider sector, who often say that the lopsided demand for green recruitment and upskilling has made it difficult to plan and organise a wide range of suitable recruitment programmes and training courses.
Retrofit of commercial and high-rise property requires specific expertise and significant resource, while retrofit of listed buildings and heritage sites poses additional challenges regarding preservation and cultural significance. While there are pathways for domestic retrofit, there is less certainty around non-domestic retrofit. This is a crucial concern for Central London boroughs as, in 2050, 80% of the building stock will be existing buildings.

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The Government’s proposed Growth and Skills Levy could be used to support the creation of new qualifications – including VQs, NVQs and modular training – which are bespoke for the requirements of sustainable real estate. Shorter courses and qualifications, as well as apprenticeships, are particularly important for the built environment, given the short duration of many developments, which can be around 12 months.
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The 12-month timescale of many developments often doesn’t match the 2-3 year timescale of many apprenticeship programmes, leaving apprentices untrained and unemployed when their development comes to an end.

Section 106 policies often exacebate this issue by stipulating for new apprentices for each new development, meaning that existing apprentices are unable to be hired and complete their training across multiple developments and across multiple London boroughs.
Taskforce members reported that a long-term, Government-led skills strategy and tighter planning and procurement regulations around sustainability and social value would be the most effective solution for addressing green skills gaps. Government should offer more guidance so that employers know how and where to access support for skills training, including financial support.
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From Government, this could look like a new ‘National Retrofit and Green Skills Strategy for Commercial Developments’; and the GLA could also establish a clear roadmap for commercial buildings and a standardised pan-London Section 106 framework so that there is a clear and consistent sustainability and social value ask on industry.
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Inconsistent planning and environmental standards has led to a variable demand for upskilling. For example, only some new developments are aiming for an EPC A rating by implementing heat pumps and solar panels, while other projects have lower EPC targets which reduces the need to recruit and upskill workers in new, energy efficient technologies. Political will can generate greater demand for green skills.
Many training providers and employers reported a severe shortage of qualified and competent trainers to teach green skills courses, causing delays and cancellation of training. One reason given for this is that trainer and mentor salaries remain low and are uncompetitive compared to industry roles.
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A solution to this could be the Government and the GLA asking industry to second its experienced hires to colleges, schools and independent training establishments to ‘train the trainers’
Government, employers and training providers should work together to bring about a cultural change that allows for longer project timescales to accommodate for a proper focus on skills.
This includes the longer timescales needed to introduce new and Modern Methods of Construction, developing new training facilities, recruiting and obtaining competent trainers and developing accredited and commercial-specific course programmes often takes more time than is possible under current funding parameters.
Offering greater certainty of demand for this training would make delivery of the specialised green, commercial courses which Central London desperately needs financial viable for the training provider sector.

Key Stats to Drive Change

CO2

The importance of the built environment in delivering on sustainability goals cannot be overstated. In London alone, buildings contribute to 76% of greenhouse gas emissions. 95% of emissions from the built environment over the next 30 years comes from buildings that already exist today.

Green jobs in the ‘Homes and Buildings’ category currently represents just over 1 in 5 of Central London’s green jobs. Just over half of London’s green Homes and Buildings jobs are in Central London.

Training

26,000 extra construction workers will be needed in Greater London by 2026, with an average total number of jobs per commercial development site of 1308 roles.

With proper investment, local government could retrofit 1,000 properties a day, which would create 31,000 new skilled jobs in construction and retrofit industries.

83% of employers said that they were not aware of any available support on green skills training. This is despite £3.3bn in Apprenticeship Levy funds remaining unspent and being returned to the Treasury between 2019 and 2022.

A recent review of the GLA’s Adult Education Budget-funded green skills provision in London suggested that publicly-funded courses were quite broad, providing a range of skills, rather than specific competencies related to the decarbonisation of Central London’s commercial buildings.

Diverse New Talent

The sector is at a demographic turning point: nearly 19% of built environment workers are over the age of 60 and many are expected to retire in the next five to ten years. Without an influx of younger talent into the sector, the existing workforce shortages will only deteriorate further. 

Furthemore, women make up only 13% of the sector and just 4% make it to senior positions. The share of both minority groups and people with disabilities who progress to leadership roles is only 6%.

A Taskforce survey of school students aged 13-16 revealed that 80% of students are unaware that built environment careers play a role in supporting the pathway to net zero. Moreover, a recent Government survey found that 81% of 15-year-olds said that they wanted to do more to protect the environment.

There is a significant pool on tapped young and diverse talent across Greater London and the Southeast who could be recruited to work across the project lifecycle of roles, towards the decarbonisation of Central London’s commercial built environment. To achieve this, we need to challenge people’s existing perceptions about built environment careers, and show them the many benefits. These benefits include: competitive earning potential, excellent progression opportunities, a wide range of roles to choose from (include jobs using digital skills, and the opportunity to work in a sector that is on the frontline of battling climate change.

Educators and Training Providers

Educators and training providers play a pivotal role in shaping the workforce of tomorrow, particularly as the demand for green skills grows in the built environment.
The transition to sustainable practices is not just an industry responsibility, it also requires active involvement from education providers. By investing in delivering new green training offers (including embedding sustainability into existing courses), educators and training providers can ensure that learners are equipped to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving construction sector, one which prioritises sustainability.
Currently, there is a gap between student enrolments in traditional built environment courses, such as construction and architecture, and those specialising in green skills. This gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Addressing this skills shortage will not only benefit learners but also position training providers at the forefront of delivering relevant and in-demand knowledge and skills.
By updating apprenticeships, creating new programs, and collaborating with industry, training providers can help close the skills gap and meet the growing need for a workforce equipped to support the green transition.

Demand for Green Jobs

London is projected to see an annual increase of 13,600 workers needed in green jobs.

Enrolment Disparity

In 2019/20, 6,250 learners enrolled in AEB-funded Building and Construction courses, but far fewer students were taking specialised courses that directly support the green transition in sectors such as non-domestic premises.

Mismatched Qualifications

Over 50% of green jobs will require degree-level qualifications, yet more than half of the current training provision in construction is at Level 2, failing to meet the qualification needs for many green roles.

Overwhelmed Green Courses

Only two providers offered the Level 2 Diploma in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Heat Pump Systems in 2021/22, and these courses were oversubscribed, highlighting the need to expand training in these areas.

Underrepresentation of Key Skills

In 2021-22, there were no publicly funded learning aims available in the critical green skills areas of energy assessment and insulation treatments, which are essential to achieving net zero targets.

Alignment with Industry Needs

With green construction and energy efficiency becoming industry priorities, collaborating with education providers will ensure that training programmes align with the practical skills required in the rapidly evolving sector.

Demand for Green Jobs

London is projected to see an annual increase of 13,600 workers needed in green jobs.

Enrolment Disparity

In 2019/20, 6,250 learners enrolled in AEB-funded Building and Construction courses, but far fewer students were taking specialised courses that directly support the green transition in sectors such as non-domestic premises.

Mismatched Qualifications

Over 50% of green jobs will require degree-level qualifications, yet more than half of the current training provision in construction is at Level 2, failing to meet the qualification needs for many green roles.

Overwhelmed Green Courses

Only two providers offered the Level 2 Diploma in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Heat Pump Systems in 2021/22, and these courses were oversubscribed, highlighting the need to expand training in these areas.

Underrepresentation of Key Skills

In 2021-22, there were no publicly funded learning aims available in the critical green skills areas of energy assessment and insulation treatments, which are essential to achieving net zero targets.

Alignment with Industry Needs

With green construction and energy efficiency becoming industry priorities, collaborating with education providers will ensure that training programmes align with the practical skills required in the rapidly evolving sector.
Illustration of a woman standing next to a presentation board showing green infrastructure symbols, including trees, a bicycle, and Big Ben. She points to a list, representing the role of educators and training providers in promoting green skills and sustainable practices in the built environment.

Policymakers testimonials

Shaping Tomorrow’s Skyline: Insights from Key Decision Makers

Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan

"London should lead the way for driving green skills."...
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Rokhsana Fiaz

Rokhsana Fiaz

"Green skills are crucial to achieving net zero in the coming decades and we need to invest now if...
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Joe Dromey

Joe Dromey

“Decarbonising the commercial built environment will be a significant challenge. However, it is...
Read More
Keith Bottomley, Deputy Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation, and Chair of the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce

Keith Bottomley, Deputy Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation, and Chair of the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce

"London lacks a workforce with the skills needed to carry out new, innovative construction methods...
Read More
View all testimonials

Kingfisher’s (owner of Screwfix, B&Q and TradePoint) recent report on workforce shortages laid out three strategies:

View report here

Career advice in schools to encourage young people to take up a trade career

Improved hiring incentives to support SMEs in taking on, training, and retaining apprentices

Cost of living support to make sure trade apprenticeships are financially viable for young people

Case studies

What does best practice look like in business?

Explore all case studies

Hackney Light and Power

Hackney Light and Power focuses on accelerating green energy initiatives in the borough of Hackney. The project showcases how local authorities can lead the transition to a sustainable energy future, highlighting key strategies for reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy sources at a local level.

View more

Road to zero carbon council action on green jobs and skills

This case study examines how local councils are taking action to support green jobs and skills development. It includes examples from various boroughs, including Barnet and Voyage Youth, that demonstrate how councils are promoting diversity and preparing the workforce for sustainable roles in the regeneration and construction sectors.

View more

Essex County Council and Retrofit Academy Partnership

The partnership between Essex County Council and the Retrofit Academy is a model for delivering retrofit skills and training at a local level. The case study explores the benefits of retrofitting homes and buildings to meet sustainability goals and how this collaboration is helping to address the skills gap in retrofit.

View more

LSBU Green Skills Hub

The LSBU Green Skills Hub is an innovative project designed to provide training and education in green skills. The hub offers courses in areas such as retrofitting and renewable energy, helping to equip the next generation of workers with the skills they need for the green economy.

View more

Willmott Dixon’s National Upskilling Programme

The Willmott Dixon Foundation supports social value initiatives across the construction sector. This case study highlights the Foundation’s commitment to promoting green skills, community engagement, and diversity in construction projects, ensuring that the benefits of sustainable development are shared by all.

View more

Hackney Light and Power

Hackney Light and Power focuses on accelerating green energy initiatives in the borough of Hackney. The project showcases how local authorities can lead the transition to a sustainable energy future, highlighting key strategies for reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy sources at a local level.

View more

Road to zero carbon council action on green jobs and skills

This case study examines how local councils are taking action to support green jobs and skills development. It includes examples from various boroughs, including Barnet and Voyage Youth, that demonstrate how councils are promoting diversity and preparing the workforce for sustainable roles in the regeneration and construction sectors.

View more

Essex County Council and Retrofit Academy Partnership

The partnership between Essex County Council and the Retrofit Academy is a model for delivering retrofit skills and training at a local level. The case study explores the benefits of retrofitting homes and buildings to meet sustainability goals and how this collaboration is helping to address the skills gap in retrofit.

View more

LSBU Green Skills Hub

The LSBU Green Skills Hub is an innovative project designed to provide training and education in green skills. The hub offers courses in areas such as retrofitting and renewable energy, helping to equip the next generation of workers with the skills they need for the green economy.

View more

Willmott Dixon’s National Upskilling Programme

The Willmott Dixon Foundation supports social value initiatives across the construction sector. This case study highlights the Foundation’s commitment to promoting green skills, community engagement, and diversity in construction projects, ensuring that the benefits of sustainable development are shared by all.

View more

General resources

Empowering Your Journey:
Essential Resources

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Girl-policymakers
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
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Learn from academics and innovators who have a deep understanding and wealth of research into...
Global Responsibility Competency Compass
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This is a tool launched by engineers with boarders UK to ensure engineers are equipped...
Green Careers Hub
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The Green Careers Hub is a platform to showcase and inspire green careers, jobs and...
City & Guilds’ Green skills and Sustainability
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City & Guilds are committed to playing our part in connecting the right people to...

Policymakers

Explore Our Glossary of Terms
The built environment can be confusing, especially with all the new words and phrases that come with sustainability and green skills. Our glossary is here to help.
Find out more