‘Green jobs’ in renewables and other environmental sectors were going backwards in the UK even before Covid, claimed trade unions as they slammed government “failure” over the issue as the nation prepares to host the crucial COP26 climate summit.

The TUC body representing unions cited a fall of more than 30,000 posts in the UK in the five years to 2019, with 202,000 directly employed in relevant industries by that year, before any impact of the pandemic had been felt.