The transition to a net zero economy is both a necessity and an opportunity for the United Kingdom.

In this report, the authors focus on the challenges workers face in the transition away from gas, undertaking a detailed analysis of the transferability of skills and future career options for approximately 115,000 workers in the gas sector.

They argue that delivering a fair and well managed transition must include developing an understanding of future career options for these workers well in advance of those industries decarbonising, as well as a strategy for supporting them in the transition.

Key recommendations:

• A green industrial strategy: Set out a comprehensive green industrial strategy that, inter alia, ends licensing of new oil and gas fields, clarifies the role of gas capacity in the future energy mix, introduces strict capture rate standards for CCS, and sets out a plan for decommissioning gas grid including heat zones that set out the future shape of the gas grid and the few locations where hydrogen may be appropriate for home heating.
• A fair transition approach involving workers and their unions: Set up Fair Transition Bodies comprised of national and local government representatives, industry representatives, trade unions, representatives of non-union workers and local community stakeholders. These bodies should commit to delivering a workforce plan that negotiates with stakeholders over a range of fair transition commitments such as a funded right to retrain, a right to interview and travel assistance if new jobs are located far away.
• A reformed skills system: Reform and expand the current skills system by introducing an annual £1.1 billion Green Training Fund to provide free training to workers in gas sectors (and other industries that are decarbonising) that may need to change occupation.