UK’s growing green economy worth more than £100bn a year, research finds
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- CBI Economics estimates the UK net‑zero economy adds over £100bn a year in gross value added, roughly 4% of total output.
- Net‑zero employment totals 1.1 million jobs (308 k direct plus supply‑chain roles), with average pay of £43 k—about 11% above the national average.
- Investment pipeline for energy infrastructure is projected at £455bn, driven by the government’s 2030 electricity decarbonisation target and 2050 net‑zero goal.
- Political opposition from the Conservatives, Reform UK and former PM Tony Blair calls for scrapping the net‑zero targets.
- Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Sandra Bell warned that dismantling climate action would for Britain’s economic and cost‑of‑living benefits.
Why it matters: UK workers and investors stand to gain from a £100bn‑plus net‑zero sector that adds £120k per employee, while scrapping the target would for £455bn of infrastructure spend and erode the UK's competitiveness.
