After winning an award in 2009 Svati Bogle has set up a social business, Sustaintech, that takes the robust model of delivering energy efficient cook stoves to the vast middle income businesses and street vendors across India.

Back from the IPPR learning-exchange to California, in her third blog, Gill Harper of St Columb Minor School reflects on what she has learnt about green jobs in the USA. She explores what can be brought over to the UK and in particular to communities in Cornwall.

I learnt a lot from my trip to the California. In particular, I’ve noticed that American alliances are ambitious and have been fortunate to have backing by the federal and state governments. In the UK we can learn from them and firstly aim high. Although the funding gap between America and the UK is vast, our results in job creation look better by comparison. 

We should, however, seriously consider strategies to manufacture green technologies which would have a substantial impact on job creation and to consider the broader opportunities for growing a green economy.   

My understanding now is that ‘green jobs’ are not new jobs but they are existing jobs that need up-skilling.