Green industries and investment could create 9,000 jobs over the next 15 years in Cumbria.
A new report by the local organisation Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) estimates almost 4,500 new green roles could be based in West Cumbria.
It notes that green recovery could be developed in the area around the site of the proposed Whitehaven coal mine.
A few days ago, West Cumbria Mining (WCM), the developer of the project that would have been the first deep coal mine in the UK for 30 years, took legal action against Cumbria County Council.
That followed the local authority’s decision to reconsider the planning application after environmental concerns.
The report suggests the new jobs would be across sectors including transport, industry, retrofitting, renewable heat, renewable electricity and waste.
The analysis also challenges WCM’s claim that it would create around 500 jobs, noting the potential total of the energy transition period and longer-term green jobs available in Cumbria could reach over 25 times that figure, at 12,800 overall.
Karen Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of CAfS, said: “High-quality, long-term and environmentally sustainable jobs could help the region recover from decades of neglect, exacerbated by the pandemic.
“But for Cumbria to realise this potential requires a steadfast commitment to the green industries and technologies of the future.”
