Employment impact from investment in energy efficiency

Pennie Varvarides writes in the website Lighting about the jobs safeguarded in Wales due to recent investment in energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency push secures thousands of jobs

At least 1,500 private sector jobs have been safeguarded in Wales thanks to investment in energy efficiency.

These figures were revealed today by the Carbon Trust’s Wales office, which is funded by the Welsh government, following a survey of businesses that have directly received support from the organisation over the past year.

The research from Carbon Trust Wales showed that an investment of £2.5 million has led to the implementation of energy efficiency measures with over £116 million of lifetime financial savings for Welsh organisations in the past year.

This takes the tally of financial savings thanks to measures helped by the Carbon Trust in Wales to over £719 million, while helping to cut nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

South Wales has seen the greatest benefits, where there are a number of industrial businesses. The most significant impacts were found in Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot.

The organisations supported include some of the largest private sector employers in Wales, including GE and the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup.

“Over the years we have worked with hundreds of businesses in Wales,” explained Mike Batt, general manager of Carbon Trust Wales, “helping them to become more competitive, while creating new employment opportunities and securing highly skilled jobs.”