A new taskforce that will look at defining and addressing skills gaps around the construction, retrofit and maintenance of low-carbon commercial buildings in Central London boroughs has been unveiled.

The City of London Corporation’s Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce will run for three years and comes in response to the findings of a poll of over 100 industry professionals which revealed:

  • 91% said the commercial built environment sector lacks sufficient skilled workers to achieve net zero targets
  • 80% believed a lack of workplace diversity is an issue for the sector
  • 87% agreed that there is a growing ‘green skills’ gap in the commercial built environment

The taskforce will support the aims of the City Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy which commits to net-zero carbon emissions across the City Corporation’s operations by 2027, and to support the achievement of net zero for the Square Mile by 2040.

It will bring together leaders from across the commercial built environment, including representation from local authorities, central government, employers, industry bodies and training providers.

Chair of the Taskforce, Chris Hayward, said: “Central London urgently needs a larger skilled workforce to decarbonise its commercial buildings and this taskforce will lead the way in finding solutions to fill this skills gap.

“We must work at pace to attract new talent as well as upskill and reskill the existing workforce as we look to meet our ambitious climate action goals.

“The areas which we have identified as having the greatest scope for improvement are the full development lifecycle, including design, retrofit, construction and maintenance.”

Deputy Chair Charles Begley said: “Advances in technology and innovation are opening up a wider range of job opportunities within the built environment, with the drive towards greater sustainability being embedded from financing to fit-out, as well as the long-term operation of a building. However, there is evidence of a growing skills gap which threatens to impede progress in achieving London’s net-zero carbon targets.

“We need to understand the barriers in attracting the diverse workforce the industry requires and find solutions to help promote the reskilling and upskilling of existing workers, whilst raising career awareness amongst Londoners, particularly those from underrepresented demographic backgrounds.”