\nLast updated:<\/p>\n
01 Jun. 2026\n<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s net zero economy now underpins the jobs of 1.1 million UK workers, who together generate \u00a3105 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA)\u202ffor the UK economy, a new report commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) with analysis provided by the independent consultancy CBI Economics and The Data City, has found. [1] \u00a0<\/p>\n
From solar panel installers to electric car production line engineers, these workers generate \u00a3119,300 in economic value per full-time job, around 1.5 times the national average \u2013 against the backdrop of the UK\u2019s wider productivity stagnation. This leads to higher wages, with net zero jobs earning \u00a343,142, 11% higher than the current national average of \u00a339,039.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This, the fourth annual report on the scale and nature of the UK\u2019s net zero economy, found 22,700 small firms (employing less than 50 people) and six \u2018billion-pound\u2019 economic hotspots spread across the UK including in Scottish Central Belt, West and North Yorkshire, and North Wales and Cheshire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The report, officially launched in Hull, found that Yorkshire and the Humber region leads the way in England with the highest shares of net zero GVA as a proportion of the local GVA (4.4%). Yorkshire and the Humber\u2019s net zero economy supports over 79,000 jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Louise Hellem, CBI Chief Economist, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis report makes clear the sustained scale of the opportunity in the UK\u2019s net zero economy. It shows that clean power and decarbonisation are no longer future ambitions \u2013 they are already a significant and growing part of the UK\u2019s industrial base.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSupporting more than a million jobs across the country, the net zero economy is already shaping lives and livelihoods in every part of the UK, from the Central belt in Scotland to industrial heartlands in Yorkshire and the communities of Wales \u2013 well beyond the six \u00a31bn hotspots identified in this report. Across energy, manufacturing, services and supply chains, the UK has the expertise to build on this strength and capture even greater commercial opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a time when the UK must strengthen energy security and drive growth, the net zero economy is becoming central to the country\u2019s future competitiveness. With global competition intensifying, government and business must work together to attract investment and scale up delivery. The UK cannot afford to step back from an industry already contributing \u00a3100bn to the economy and with huge future growth potential.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Peter Chalkley, Director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said:\u00a0\u201cReaching net zero emissions is scientifically the only way to bring the climate back into balance and stop climate change but it\u2019s now become a major part of the UK economy. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThousands of small businesses across the UK are the unsung heroes of this net zero economy, installing solar panels on rooves, manufacturing parts for electric cars and in doing so creating greater energy independence for the UK, shielding us from the oil and gas price crises of recent times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the UK\u2019s net zero workforce having surged past one million, communities from Hull to Ellesmere Port, and North Lanarkshire to Somerset need to see consistent stable policy into the future. With global demand now falling for petrol cars and installations of net zero tech like solar panels and heat pumps rising, the UK is in a global race to develop future-proof clean industries. Standing still or looking back just isn\u2019t an option for job security.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the Net Zero Tracker, 84% of global GDP is covered by country and US State-level commitments to reaching net zero emissions [https:\/\/zerotracker.net<\/a>].\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr. Natasha Boulding, Chief Executive Officer at Low Carbon Materials (LCM)\u00a0[2] said:\u00a0“LCM is proud to be a North East company, and the report\u2019s finding that the region is one of the country\u2019s biggest hotspot for SMEs in net zero matches what the team sees every day. With the green economy now employing over a million people and worth more than \u00a3100 billion, the demand for low-carbon construction is only going one way, and LCM plans to be part of it as it grows.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Neil Spann, CEO at Power Roll\u00a0[3] said:\u00a0\u201cWe strongly welcome the findings of the CBI\u2019s latest report, which highlight the strength and momentum of the UK\u2019s green economy. The analysis underlines that the net zero sector is already a major driver of growth, contributing tens of billions to the UK economy and growing significantly faster than the wider economy. It reinforces what we are seeing first-hand\u2014that home grown clean technology is increasingly central to economic competitiveness, productivity and job creation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCrucially, the report also shows that this growth is being delivered by a broad base of innovative large and smaller businesses across the country, and that green industries are creating high-value, high-productivity jobs. For companies like Power Roll, this provides a strong signal that investment in clean technologies is aligned with long-term economic opportunity, and that the UK has a real chance to lead in emerging global markets if the right conditions are maintained and that there is access to appropriate capital.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a North East perspective, this growth story is already taking shape. The region\u2019s renewable energy sector is expanding and supporting thousands of jobs, demonstrating that clean energy innovation can be a powerful driver of regional regeneration and industrial renewal. With the right support, the North East has the potential to play a leading role in the UK\u2019s green industrial future\u2014combining advanced manufacturing, innovation and skills to deliver sustainable growth for decades to come.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n With the net zero economy evolving quickly, this year\u2019s report is based on a new methodology and so is not directly comparable to last year\u2019s. Reports focussed on Scotland and Wales\u2019 net zero economies have recently been published. This new UK-wide report found:\u00a0<\/p>\n The net zero economy supported employment equivalent to 1.1 million full-time jobs, with 308,000 supported directly by the activity of net zero businesses (twice as many as the motor vehicles sector at 153,000), a further 520,000 being supported in the supply chain and 234,000 through the wider economy. \u00a0The net zero economy generated \u00a3105 billion in GVA for the UK economy, with \u00a336.7 billion generated directly by net zero businesses (more than the engineering\/architectural sector at \u00a336.2 billion), \u00a351.2 billion generated through the supply chain and \u00a316.8 billion generated through induced economic activity. \u00a0For every \u00a31 in value generated by the net zero economy a further \u00a31.85 is generated in the wider economy.Jobs supported by net zero businesses were 48%, or 1.5 times, more productive than the UK average, generating \u00a3119,300 in economic value per full-time job. This led to higher-than-average wages, with these jobs generating an average of \u00a343,142 to a full-time worker.With over 96% of firms classified as SMEs (22,700 firms, 15,807 plus 4,882 with less than 50 employees), the UK\u2019s net zero economy is underpinned by a deep and entrepreneurial business base – strengthening supply chains, supporting innovation, and enhancing the UK\u2019s competitive position in a rapidly expanding global market.The UK\u2019s renewable energy pipeline represents a \u00a3455bn investment opportunity across 262GW of capacity, with two-thirds already in active or construction phases, highlighting both the value and scale of development required to deliver clean power.\u00a0<\/p>\n Darren Davidson, UK Vice President for Siemens Energy, [4] said:\u00a0\u201cWe welcome the findings of this report because they underline something those of us in the industry can already see clearly: the energy transition is not only essential for the UK\u2019s future, it\u2019s already creating skilled jobs, driving investment and revitalising communities right across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn my view, there has never been a more exciting time to work in the energy sector. We are transforming how Britain powers homes, businesses and industry, and that means creating long-term opportunities for people with the skills, ambition and commitment to build a cleaner, more secure energy system.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt Siemens Energy, we employ more than 7,500 people across the UK, including at our offshore wind blade factory in Hull, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. We are especially proud that the vast majority of colleagues there call the Humber home. That is exactly what the net zero economy should look like in practice: world-class industry creating lasting value and opportunity in local communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Tim Morris, Group Head of Corporate Communications at Associated British Ports\u00a0[5] said:\u00a0\u201cOur ports are fundamental to driving growth, supporting jobs and enabling energy resilience across the UK. Across our ports, ABP is investing ambitiously in the infrastructure and services our customers need to build the resilient businesses of the future. Already a key enabler of the offshore wind sector, we have pivotal roles to play in carbon capture, hydrogen and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also investing in energy generation across our own operations, helping to mitigate volatile energy costs for both our own business and our customers. Greater resilience strengthens the ability for businesses to grow, creating more jobs in the industrial clusters at our ports. We were proud to host the Climate Minister to showcase the vital role ports play in delivering the UK\u2019s resilient, sustainable energy ambitions.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n Notes to editors:<\/p>\n 1. The report The race for net zero: The UK net zero economy and the transition to a competitive future, is available to download here: \u00a0https:\/\/eciu.net\/analysis\/reports\/the-race-for-net-zero<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n B-Roll\/images of the Siemens offshore wind blade factory are available on request.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Low Carbon Materials (LCM) is a Durham-based climate-tech company working to decarbonise construction, an industry responsible for around a quarter of the UK\u2019s carbon emissions. A massive chunk of this comes from \u201cembodied carbon\u201d \u2014 the emissions generated by manufacturing materials like concrete, asphalt and steel. The company makes high-performance additives that drop into existing manufacturing processes, so concrete and asphalt can be produced at net zero. Its two products, OSTO\u00ae and ACLA\u00ae, replace traditional aggregates and perform as well as the materials they swap out, with potential added benefits like thermal insulation, improved longevity and microplastic absorption. LCM is the first start-up in its sector to achieve PAS 2080 certification, and was a finalist for the Earthshot Prize in the \u201cFix Our Climate\u201d category. It has raised \u00a36 million to date. The business started in 2019. Three Durham University PhD chemists, Dr Natasha Boulding, Dr Phil Buckley and Scott Bush, took a two-week innovation challenge and turned it into a company, spinning out of the university as its first ever student startup. Since then LCM has become one of the fastest-growing climate-tech firms in the UK.\u00a0https:\/\/www.lowcarbonmaterials.com\/<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Power Roll, is developing next-generation solar technology designed to unlock where and how energy is generated. Their approach centres on lightweight, flexible photovoltaic films that can be deployed on surfaces where conventional panels are not viable, enabling solar generation in a far wider set of applications. This is about overcoming long-standing barriers in cost, deployment and materials to make solar energy more accessible at scale whilst also increasing energy security, home grown energy and reducing the cost of electricity for consumers. Their proprietary technology combines microgroove structures with perovskite materials, allowing us to manufacture ultra-thin solar films using efficient, scalable processes. By eliminating the need for rare-earth materials and focusing on high-throughput production techniques, Power Roll can significantly reduce the cost of solar deployment globally. This positions Power Roll at the forefront of making clean energy both more affordable and more widely deployable.\u00a0https:\/\/www.powerroll.solar\/<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Siemens Energy is one of the world\u2019s leading energy technology companies:\u00a0https:\/\/www.siemens-energy.com\/uk\/en\/home.html<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n