‘92,000 new green jobs by 2041’

Consultants WSP – who have set out a draft plan towards achieving the West Midlands’ climate target – have outlined how new jobs can be created in “carbon cutting green industries and technologies”.

Examples set out before councillors on the West Midlands Combined Authority’s environment and energy board this week show new jobs could include:

* energy efficiency retrofit co-ordinators, installers and designers for domestic, commercial and industry settings

* fuel switching heat pump installers and solar photovoltaic installers – again, both in homes and business settings

* digital skills workers working in transport demand reduction

* manufacturers working with new fuels for transport

* more public transport operators

* tree planters, ecologists, environmental managers, woodland managers

The energy board heard “the region is currently not on target for the 2026 or 2041 targets”.

As a result, a new five-year plan suggests taking an “accelerated” approach in order to bring about a 28 per cent per cent reduction by 2026 and net zero by 2041.

Priorities identified in the plan include the installation of low carbon heating in 278,000 homes, reduce car usage from 67 per cent of trips to 59 per cent by 2026.

Other measures include a “Zero Carbon Homes Charter” setting out how all new homes built in the region from 2025 onwards can be “zero carbon ready”.

The combined authority intends to upgrade all of the region’s bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles and launch a tree-planting programme including one tree planted for each resident.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “This marks a significant step closer towards achieving our goal of net zero by 2041.

“When we set our target last year, we were honest about the scale of change that lay ahead. But with the publication of this plan, we are also outlining the enormous opportunity that the transition to net zero presents for our region.

“Up to 92,000 jobs could be created in new green industries across all our economic sectors – construction, manufacturing, transport, hospitality – all stand to benefit from this transformational effort.

“This is what makes it so important that our journey to net zero involves the whole region.

“Public, private and third sectors will all need to work together, and we have made sure to consult them thoroughly on the creation of this plan.

“I am ambitious that we can deliver the scale of change required to reach this target and I am excited by the opportunities presented by it.”

Councillor Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council and WMCA portfolio lead for energy and environment, said: “We knew that achieving net zero by 2041 was a bold and ambitious statement for the region to make.

“We need to be clear about the sheer scale of this challenge but also the significant economic opportunities it offers, so that we can rise to it. This plan shows how by working together we can do just that.”

The proposed five year plan, which will go before the WMCA board on March 19 and if approved will be put into action.

The authority has said an investment of £4.7 billion will be needed in the first five years, and a total of £15.4 billion by 2041.