'No significant change': Government data suggests UK's 'green' workforce shrank between 2014 and 2019

Cecilia Keating
clock • 3 min read

Despite gains in offshore wind and low carbon vehicles and infrastructure, the number of people employed in 'green fields' dropped by more than 30,000 between 2014 and 2019, according to the ONS

The Office for National Statistics has revealed the number of people employed in low carbon and renewable energy economy (LCREE) fell from 235,900 in 2014 to 202,100 in 2019, a trend campaigners have warned...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Workplace

Study: Hybrid working can slash work-related CO2 by up to 90 per cent

Study: Hybrid working can slash work-related CO2 by up to 90 per cent

Enabling staff to work from home or at nearby workspaces can significantly reduce building and commuter transport emissions, an IWG and Arup study has found

BusinessGreen staff
clock 21 April 2026 • 3 min read
Study: Could hairdressers be a secret weapon for tackling climate change?

Study: Could hairdressers be a secret weapon for tackling climate change?

Fresh research argues hairdressers are ‘unsung influencers’ in prompting conversation and promoting new habits that can curb emissions

clock 04 March 2026 • 3 min read
The smartest investment in sustainability? Training your employees

The smartest investment in sustainability? Training your employees

In an era of scrutiny, scepticism, and cost pressures, training is not just a compliance exercise, it is also a way to motivate staff and deliver on targets, writes BNP Paribas Asset Management's Elise Broussous

Elise Broussous, BNP Paribas Asset Management
clock 13 November 2025 • 4 min read