I agree, but only up to a point.

Yes, the climate sector could help boost the economy through i)'green' jobs, ranging from installing solar panels to environmental consulting, and ii) providing an attractive avenue for investment, but both are inherently limited.

Firstly, although there is increasing demand for 'green' services, the demand is not sufficient for creating enough jobs that will by itself guarantee economic revival. This is because there is both a relatively low demand for green services and a low capacity for providing these services - green alternatives are often more expensive and require a more highly-trained workforce.

Second, although there are initiatives that encourage investment in green technologies and general R&D, these are seen as extraordinarily risky and, with a few exceptions such as solar panel bonds, are far from investment from mainstream institutional investors.

The problem is that green jobs are currently very expensive to create and run and without adequate initial funding, it is economically unfeasible. It is unlikely that the public sector could provide sufficient funding, be it for green jobs or mitigation projects, but it is imperative that governments legislate in favour of the green economy and offer incentives to channel private investments into this area.

I see the current crises in finance and the environment as stemming from the same mode of thinking, so a lasting solution that aims to solve the financial crisis must also have an element of creating green jobs.

A very useful report by Friends of the Earth on Green Job creation can be accessed here: http://www.ejscotland.info/Publications/Environmental%20Jobs/Friends%20of%20the%20Earth%20Green%20Job%20Creation.pdf

Other interesting reports can be found here: http://www.ejscotland.info/publications-ej.htm