LONDON: News that at least 1000 apprentices could receive government funding under the Green Deal was a step in the right direction, but would not be enough to create demand, the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) said today.

The scheme is intended to help insulate the UK’s homes and businesses against rising energy prices and reduce carbon emissions.

Paul King, chief executive, UK Green Building Council said: “The UK Green Building Council is hugely supportive of the Green Deal, and of course having the right skills in the workforce is crucial, but so too is having a market that demands those skills. If we have the people to do the work but low take up of the Green Deal, we’ve got the HIPs fiasco all over again.

“Government is right to highlight what a massive economic opportunity this could be, but for the Green Deal to be a success we need both incentives and regulation to drive the market. That means more than nudging people in the right direction, it means setting out a date by which the worst performing homes need to be refurbished so that the industry has the confidence to invest on the scale that is necessary. Green jobs get a green light, but the drivers for the Green Deal are stuck on amber.”