The UK government's plan to reach "Net Zero" and support the "green economy", including 10 target sectors, one of which is offshore wind.Wind turbines can be an excellent way of producing clean, renewable energy on a mass scale, provided it is located in a windy area. The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution
Net Zero - The UK's contribution to stopping global warmingĪ reassessment of the UK's greenhouse emissions from the Climate Change Committee, which recommended a "Net Zero" target by 2050. Renewables 2020: Analysis and forecast to 2025ĭetailed analysis and forecasts through 2025 of the impact of COVID-19 on renewables in the electricity, heat and transport sectors, from the International Energy Agency. Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy SectorĪ report on how the global energy system can reach "Net Zero" by 2050, while providing stable energy supplies and enabling economic growth. Statistical release | Last updated 10 June 2021ĭata on the UK's renewables sector, including capacity, electricity generation and liquid biofuels consumption. Low carbon and renewable energy economy, UK: 2019Įstimates of the size of the UK's green economy from the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy Survey, including turnover, employment, investment and trade. For employment in the UK, IRENA uses estimates from the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology's 2020 Review. Note that any data that cover multiple countries should be subject to caution when making comparisons because of different methods of data collection across countries. These survey-based estimates are the best available and indicate general trends, but we advise caution in interpreting year-on-year change. Within the dataset, confidence intervals and coefficients of variation can be found to help aid interpretation of the estimates. It should also be noted that businesses can be active in more than one sector.ĭata on global wind employment come from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Methodological information is available in the LCREE QMI. Estimates for more variables are provided in the accompanying dataset. There is a methodology note available for these statistics.Įstimates of turnover, employment, and activity location for the UK come from the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) survey, which captures the size of one interpretation of the UK's "green economy". The relationship between these two estimates is detailed in the ONS' bridging table.ĭata on wind energy generation are from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), from table 6.1 of Energy Trends. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces estimates on a residential basis and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) produces estimates on a territorial basis. Back to table of contentsĮstimates of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for on a residential basis (counting the emissions from entities registered in the UK, even if they are physically elsewhere) and a territorial basis (counting emissions from entities physically in the UK, even if they are registered elsewhere). The wind sectors include the production of electricity and the design, production, and installation of infrastructure for wind power, including operations and maintenance. The number of jobs has been stable from 2016 to 2019.ĭata on UK business activity is from the Office for National Statistics' Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy estimates. Global employment within the wind energy sector is estimated to be 1.2 million in 2019, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, with most jobs in onshore wind.
Employment in onshore wind has remained stable over the same period, with 4,400 employees in 2019. The world's largest offshore windfarm, Hornsea 1, is based off the coast of Yorkshire.Įmployment in offshore wind in the UK has increased significantly since 2015, with 7,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in 2019. Most offshore wind activity is in England, and around half of onshore wind activity is in Scotland. The offshore and onshore wind sectors generated almost £6 billion in turnover in 2019.