Question reference: S6W-20097
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 20 July 2023
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Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the definition of "green jobs" published by the Office for National Statistics, whether it will provide further detail on the allocation of its £100 million Green Jobs Fund, including the (a) amount already allocated and (b) outcomes to date.
Answer
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) article; "Green jobs" update, current and upcoming work: March 2023, defined a green jobs as:
"Employment in an activity that contributes to protecting or restoring the environment, including those that mitigate or adapt to climate change."
We await a further ONS publication, later this year, which will provide detail on their research and an estimate of green job numbers.
The Green Jobs Fund is a five year and up to £100 million capital fund, which will support businesses and their supply chains to help them better transition to a low carbon economy. The support provided by the fund aims to create green employment through investment in equipment, premises, research and development.
When this fund was launched in 2021, green jobs were defined as:
- Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit or conserve natural resources.
- Jobs in which workers' duties involve making their establishment's production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.
Between the Enterprise Agencies and Scottish Ministers, 94 separate projects are being supported, throughout Scotland, with grant funding of up to £24.6 million through the Green Jobs Fund.
Figures provided by the recipients of these awards estimated this fund will support up to 4,730 full time jobs over the life of the individual project.