Unions warn UK is lagging in pursuit of green economy

The TUC will today warn that the UK is in danger of falling behind its European counterparts in the development of a low carbon economy.

In a new report due to be released at today's TUC Climate Change Conference, the trade union body will warn that while countries such as Germany, Denmark and Spain are creating thousands of "green collar" jobs and billions of pounds of revenue the UK is lagging behind.

The report finds, for example, that Germany has created a renewable energy sector employing almost half a million people with a turnover of €24 billion, while the currently UK employs just 7,000 in renewable energy, generating €360 million.

Speaking ahead of the event, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said that the government had to act urgently to help the UK catch up with its European counterparts or risk losing more green jobs to the continent. "Our European competitors are showing that there is a lot of money and jobs in the green economy but the UK Government is barely off the starting blocks compared to countries like Germany and Denmark," he said. "Now is the time to start implementing the policies which could allow a UK green sector to give a much needed boost to our slowing economy."

At the conference, which is to be attended by environment secretary Hilary Benn, the TUC will also urge the government to do more to encourage wider employer-employee co-operation to help drive green business initiatives. It will argue that employer-union partnerships designed to set up "green teams" have proved successful at slashing workplace carbon emissions and should be emulated more widely.

In related news, the TUC will also publish today a free guide for employees designed to help them make their workplaces greener. The guide, entitled Go Green at Work, offers advice on how people can assess the environmental performance of their workplace and provides tips on how to cut carbon emissions and better make the case for investment in green technologies.