Sustainability and Skills “Critical” to Success of UK’s Industrial Strategy, says IEMA

Sustainability skills, low carbon, resource efficiency and resilience need to underpin UK’s industrial future

Investment in sustainability skills and lifelong-learning for the UK’s workforce will prove crucial to the success of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, IEMA said today.

In its response to the UK’s Government’s Green Paper consultation on the proposed Industrial Strategy, IEMA says the strategy has the potential to focus the economy on sustainable, long-term success. It will also act as a platform for creating and supporting the businesses, jobs and the workforce of the future.

However, IEMA warns that the Green Paper features a “major gap”, saying Government must give more focus on enhancing UK productivity through material and resource efficiency, resource resilience and the circular economy.

Martin Baxter, IEMA’s Chief Policy Advisor, stated that skills will be critical to achieving the vision in the Green Paper: “While we support the need to enhance technical education, investment in sustainability skills and lifelong-learning for those already in employment will be crucial to achieving the vision for the UK’s industrial future set out in the Green Paper. This is an opportunity to align learning, skills and the demands of the economy, and we urge Government to embed this in the UK’s industrial future”.

Click here to read IEMA’s full response to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper.