Working towards an environmentally sustainable and equitable future? New evidence on green jobs from linked administrative data in the UK

Whittard, Damian; Bradley, Peter; Phan, Van; Ritchie, Felix

Abstract

Given the urgency of the transition to net-zero, there is a need for a robust evidence base to support an environmentally sustainable and equitable economy. Employing a linked administrative dataset and using both cross sectional and panel estimation techniques, this study examines employment opportunities and estimates the economic benefits of working in green occupations. Consistent with social role theory, the results indicate that individuals are more likely to work in green occupations if they are white, male, full-time, not represented by a collective agreement, and work for a small or foreign owned business.
Contributing to the international literature on pay in green jobs, the study reports a pay premium of four percent after controlling for other factors. Employees covered by collective agreements receive additional pay benefits, yet representation is less prevalent in directly green occupations. In line with research into attitude-behaviour gaps, the study demonstrates that while personal travel behaviours and green employment choices are often inconsistent, when they align this yields a pay dividend.
The research makes an important and novel contribution by showing that green employment can partially mitigate inter-occupation pay gaps, while identifying that persistent gender and ethnic pay disparities remain within green occupations. Females appear particularly disadvantaged by domestic and childcare responsibilities. This study also reports sector effects, with more traditional industries such as manufacturing and construction exhibiting entrenched gender biases. The results highlight the need to integrate considerations of inequality into theoretical frameworks that aim to understand and conceptualise the uptake of green jobs.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 11, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Feb 12, 2025
• Publication Date: Feb 25, 2025
• Deposit Date: Feb 13, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 26, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Cleaner Production
• Print ISSN: 0959-6526
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1786
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 494
• Article Number: 145025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145025
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13751784
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Working Towards an Environmentally Sustainable and Equitable Future? New Evidence on Green Jobs from Linked Administrative Data in the UK; Journal Title: Journal of Cleaner Production; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145025; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd.