Investment in Nature Recovery can play a key role in generating green jobs. This can make a key contribution to NP11’s commitment to create around 100,000 new green jobs by 2050. With nature recovery often targeted around disadvantaged urban communities and in rural and coastal regions this will result in job creation in economically vulnerable areas [1]. There is evidence that number of jobs created per million pounds spent may be equivalent to other green economy sectors such as retro fitting buildings for energy efficiency or in development of electric vehicles[2].

Jobs will be created at both entry and graduate level. Skilled staff will be required in both the restoration or creation of habitats as well as maintenance, monitoring and management. The Environmental Audit Committee recently highlighted the shortage in trained Ecologists and advocated for training and skills in chartered ecology as part of the Green Jobs agenda[3]. Recent work by the RSPB and Cambridge Econometrics has estimated a significant number temporary and long term jobs would be established through woodland creation, peatland restoration and salt marsh restoration[1] (see table 1). Vivid Economics and the National Trust have estimated the number of jobs that would be generated from large scale development of urban and peri-urban parks[5] aimed at providing equitable green spaces access to the most disadvantaged communities.