CAG Consultants and Shared Intelligence were appointed by the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (LBBD) to undertake the Barking and Dagenham Green Economy Review. The transition to a green economy presents challenges but also new economic opportunities, and the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham is seeking to position itself as ‘the green capital of the capital’.

There are differing definitions and understandings of what constitutes the green economy, but for the purposes of this study our interest was to identify opportunities to create or expand economic activity which contributes to Net Zero whilst creating potential new job opportunities that may be accessible to residents of LB Barking & Dagenham.

As part of this study, we interviewed some of the major businesses with an interest in Barking & Dagenham and held two workshops with invited stakeholders. We also undertook a telephone survey of 200 local businesses.

The study identified five green economy themes which are most likely to provide job opportunities for residents of Barking & Dagenham:

• Domestic Retrofit –which is by far the largest opportunity in terms of jobs
• Electric Vehicles – to support the shift to these vehicles
• Industrial Buildings – where Barking & Dagenham has a unique asset
• Green Infrastructure – where the number of jobs is small but may offer targeted employment support opportunities
• Circular Economy – which is more of a longer-term opportunity

The study identified the scale of opportunities associated with each of these themes and set out a series of priority interventions under each theme to maximise the economic opportunities for residents and businesses in the borough.

We also identified a series of key Foundation Blocks that need to be addressed for successful implementation of any of the proposed actions.

The study concluded with an Action Plan for the borough to take forward.

Construction worker thermally insulating house attic with mineral wool