Yesterday, we published our new infographic report Green Economy: a UK success story which shows that, quietly and without fanfare, the green business sector has become an economic force to be reckoned with.
Here we post Top 10 stats from the report, first featured by BusinessGreen.
1. The green economy was worth £122bn in 2011, representing 9.3 per cent of the overall economy.
2. The sector has grown at 4-5 per cent since 2008 and is projected to continue to grow at around five per cent a year.
3. The low carbon goods and services sector employed 939,600 people in 2010-11, significantly more than the auto industry with 518,400 employees and the telecommunications sector with 212,900 people.
4. Planned low carbon infrastructure projects for 2012-13 are worth £23bn, compared to just £3.1bn for high carbon projects.
5. The UK exported low carbon and environmental goods and services to 52 countries in 2010-11, totalling £11.8bn.
6. Exports to the UK’s largest six trade partners reached £2.4bn, while imports only totalled £1.4bn, delivering a trade surplus of £1bn.
7. Green exports to China reached £794m, while green imports totalled only £464m.
8. Scotland continues to drive renewable energy development enjoying per capita investment of £325.54, compared to per capita investment of just £85.38 in England.
9. Scots also rely on renewables for 22 per cent of their electricity, while the English generate just five per cent of their electricity from renewables.
10. One third of all global asset finance investment in new energy deals between 2007 and 2012 received both legal and financial advice from the UK.
To see the full set of infographics and sources behind them, go to www.green-alliance.org.uk/uksuccess
