Boris Johnson suggests retraining unemployed as green energy experts

Unemployed people could be retrained as green energy experts under new plans announced by London Mayor Boris Johnson to make the capital greener.

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent Last Updated: 5:47PM GMT 07 Jan 2009

The plan was unveiled in a speech to leading companies on how to make to make the city more environmentally friendly, including a drive to improve energy efficiency in buildings, cut down on gas guzzling cars and fit more energy saving lightbulbs.
But in a more innovative idea, he suggested one of the best ways to improve household efficiency was to train hundreds of unemployed people as energy efficiency advisers.
A spokesperson for the Mayor, said: "The Mayor wants to help Londoners become energy efficient and save money off their household bills. As part of this, the Mayor is interested in developing ways to train up large numbers of unemployed Londoners with the skills to retrofit the capital's homes with energy efficient measures. Plans on this are in their early stages with discussions currently being held with potential partners on how to make this happen."
The plan was welcomed by environmental groups, but they criticised the Mayor's earlier decision to drop a one-stop-shop advice service for Londoners wanting better insulation.
In a speech to members of the Green500 companies, that have pledged to cut carbon emissions and commercial property owners who have promised to improve efficiency through the Better Building Partnership, Mr Johnson said a greener London would help to cut costs in the economic downturn.
This would be done by retrofitting buildings with more energy efficient heating and lighting and switching to more electric or hybrid cars.
The mayor said: "In lean economic times, there are real financial savings to be made for businesses by becoming more energy efficient, helping them to remain competitive. This can often be done in really simple and cheap ways, and it is our job in City Hall to rally, support and publicly recognise organisations that want to do so.
"Creating a low-carbon, clean and more pleasant city that exploits new 'green' technologies is a key part of my vision to help London through the downturn. An attractive, less polluted city is a place where people will want to live, work and visit. Top-name London companies from all sectors are here today to demonstrate their commitment to cutting the capital's carbon emissions. I urge others to do the same."