RICS responds to Government's Clean Energy Jobs Plan

Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero, Ed Miliband set out the Government’s Clean Energy Jobs Plan which outlines plans to bring 400,000 extra jobs across the UK by 2030.

Scotland will be at the heart of this plan, with the government outlining that Scotland will see up to 60,000 jobs in greener energy by 2030 – a 40,000 increase from 2023.

As part of the announcement, Scottish Government said on Sunday it would jointly invest £18m with the UK Government to enable thousands of North Sea workers to access tailored support to make the change to more sustainable energy.

Responding to the announcement, Norman McLennan FRICS, Chair of the RICS Scotland Board said:

“The Government’s Clean Energy Jobs Plan marks a monumental opportunity for Scotland, driving the expansion of skilled, well-paid roles across our regions while supporting the nation’s transition to secure, clean energy. As Chair of the Scotland Board, I wholeheartedly support this ambition.

Surveyors are uniquely positioned to contribute to this transformation. From assessing sites for renewable-energy infrastructure to ensuring retrofit and heat-network projects meet high professional standards, surveyors bring the expertise and oversight that guarantee value, safety and long-term viability.

I call on all surveyors to engage with this evolving sector, seize the growing demand for their skills, help communities access these careers, and shape a clean-energy future that benefits Scotland and its workforce.”

Robert Toomey, Senior Public Affairs Manager at RICS Scotland said:

“It is positive to see continued collaboration between the Scottish and UK Governments on what is a key sector for achieving sustainable growth.

The need for more than double the current number of quantity surveyors is clearly set out in the Clean Energy Jobs plan, however, surveyors of all skill sets have the ability and already are contributing to the clean energy sector.

By embedding professional standards and robust policy frameworks, we can unlock the full potential of clean energy while supporting sustainable growth and high-quality jobs across Scotland.”