BWEA WELCOMES IPPR REPORT

BWEA, the UK's leading renewable trade association, welcomed today's report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), urging the Government to act in order for employment to be created in the offshore wind sector. The report 'Green Jobs: Prospects for creating jobs from offshore wind in the UK' states that the sector could provide 70 000 jobs in the UK by 2020, with timely Govern- ment assistance on supply chain and financing.
Dr Gordon Edge, BWEA Director of Economics and Markets, said: "A host of independent studies has shown that the wind sector in the UK can be a motor for economic growth. Wind can provide clean, sustainable energy, while attracting investment and creating employment. It is a win-win situation, which, with the right policy framework in place, can benefit the country as a whole."
The IPPR 'Green Jobs' report follows a series of reports and announcements on the potential of the renewable energy sector to create 'green-collar' jobs, including Bain and Co's report launched at last year's BWEA30 conference.
"Government primarily needs to act to make sure that there is a strong market for offshore wind, without which manufacturers will not be interested. Then there needs to be strategic investment in
infrastructure such as port facilities, with a single area chosen to be a manufacturing hub. Final- ly, there needs to be strong focus on training the skilled employees needed, and on simplifying and extending support for innovation in this sector," said Dr Edge.