According to United Nations estimates, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated globally each year, with plastic pollution forecast to triple by 2060 unless action is taken. MPs were told that while recycling has dominated policy for decades, it cannot solve the crisis alone. Industry experts at the briefing argued that meaningful progress requires intervention across the entire plastics lifecycle, from production through to disposal, with replacement, rather than recycling, becoming the priority.
The Government has unveiled a national plan to create 400,000 green energy jobs within the next five years, in what ministers say will be one of the most significant workforce transitions in modern British history. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the programme aims to double the number of people working in the UK's low-carbon sector by 2030, with a sharp focus on equipping tradespeople, school leavers, ex-service personnel and workers leaving fossil fuel industries with the skills needed to support the transition to net zero.
"We're not just doing good for the environment. We're creating paid work and valuable job experience," said Renee Ruhl, Intervine program director. "This is really a social enterprise, because..."