TY - JOUR
T1 - Skills deployment for a ‘just’ net zero energy transition
AU - Bray, Rachel
AU - Mejía Montero, Adolfo
AU - Ford, Rebecca
N1 - Funding Information:
This work is funded by the UK EPSRC EnergyREV (EP/S031863/1) grant.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - A ‘Just Transition’ seeks to protect the rights of the workforce throughout transition away from high carbon industries and towards sustainable economic sectors. This includes reskilling where appropriate and a fair distribution of benefits, alongside recognition and participation of affected communities. Drawing on a systematic literature review and a case study delineated by the 38 English Local Enterprise Partnerships we analyse the variety of skills required to support a just transition to more decentralised and smart low carbon energy systems (defined as ‘smart local energy systems’) in England. We found that more attention is required in assessing skills provision, alongside upskilling the workforce, or risk the transition being unjust. Regional disparities in skills availability could be mitigated through a local skills provision system whereby stakeholders can review training opportunities, identify emergent skill-gaps and leverage investment. In addition, greater devolution to local authorities would enable them to support stakeholders more effectively.
AB - A ‘Just Transition’ seeks to protect the rights of the workforce throughout transition away from high carbon industries and towards sustainable economic sectors. This includes reskilling where appropriate and a fair distribution of benefits, alongside recognition and participation of affected communities. Drawing on a systematic literature review and a case study delineated by the 38 English Local Enterprise Partnerships we analyse the variety of skills required to support a just transition to more decentralised and smart low carbon energy systems (defined as ‘smart local energy systems’) in England. We found that more attention is required in assessing skills provision, alongside upskilling the workforce, or risk the transition being unjust. Regional disparities in skills availability could be mitigated through a local skills provision system whereby stakeholders can review training opportunities, identify emergent skill-gaps and leverage investment. In addition, greater devolution to local authorities would enable them to support stakeholders more effectively.
KW - just transition
KW - local enterprise partnership (LEP)
KW - net-zero energy transition
KW - regional disparities
KW - skills gaps
KW - smart local energy systems (SLES)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124277972&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.eist.2022.02.002
DO - 10.1016/j.eist.2022.02.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85124277972
VL - 42
SP - 395
EP - 410
JO - Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
JF - Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
SN - 2210-4224
ER -