The report suggests that at least £1.4 trillion will need to be invested in the UK economy between 2020 and 2050 to reach net-zero. This includes an average of £50 billion per year between 2025 and 2050. The index also revealed that up to 2.5 million jobs are forecast to be created over that time span in green industries.

The report’s researchers studied measures including innovation, skills and infrastructure to rate each region and nation in the UK on its potential for growth.

Scotland received the highest score with 80.6, followed by Wales on 63.5, southwest England on 54.6, the southeast with 52 and the Midlands at 48.7.

The index revealed that Scotland already had 21,000 green economy jobs, a skilled workforce, strong universities and expertise in low-carbon energy generation.

Scotland was rated as above the national average in things such as the availability of electric vehicle charging points, the energy jobs that it will need by 2050 and the grid capacity for renewables.

Listed as Scotland’s strengths were the potential of its natural resources, in both wind and tidal power. The report also discussed the potential development of hydrogen and carbon capture and storage projects.

A need to transition away from carbon-intensive industries was seen as one of the biggest challenges Scotland would face in realising its potential.

London was listed at the bottom of the Green Growth Index, with a score of 36.5. Northern Ireland came second bottom on 42.7, with Yorkshire and Humber third from the foot of the table with a score of 45.1. The north of England was sixth with 48.3 and eastern England seventh on 45.6.