Green projects are fueling UK growth

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The transition to a green economy is worth £71 billion and has brought jobs and investment to parts of the UK facing industrial decline.

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Those are the key findings of a new report written by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

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More than 20,000 businesses are involved in the campaign to reach net zero emissions, it calculates.

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It said that around 840,000 jobs are linked to sectors ranging from renewable energy to waste management.

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The report, titled Mapping the Net Zero Economy, looks at the parts of the UK that have benefited most from policies aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

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Scotland and English regions, such as Tyneside, Teesside, Merseyside and the Humber, all performed better than average, with the green economy strong and contributing more to growth than London and the South East.

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Green jobs also pay significantly more, the report says, with the average salary (£42,600) significantly higher than the national average (£33,400).

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"The net zero economy is addressing the UK's productivity problem," says Peter Chalkley, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

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"But if the UK doesn't build on the good work already done, we will be lost and jobs will be lost."

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The UK has long been seen as a leader in green technology, particularly offshore wind, but this position is at risk.

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Other places in the world are really putting up their stalls on how they're going to get that investment money, says analyst CBI's Tom Thackeray.

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