Sir Keir Starmer will try to persuade unions to back his plan for a shift to green energy as part of a “new business model for Britain”.

The Labour leader will address the GMB union’s conference, after its general secretary criticised the opposition party’s plan to ban new oil and gas extraction licences in the North Sea.

In a speech on Tuesday Starmer will pledge to work with unions to “seize the opportunities” of hydrogen power and carbon capture and storage projects.

GMB general secretary Gary Smith said the party’s policy on North Sea licences would create a “cliff edge” that will hit jobs.

Unite’s Sharon Graham said Labour must be “very clear that they will not let workers pay the price” for the transition to renewable energy.

Labour is expected to set out full details of its green energy plan next week.

At the GMB conference on Tuesday, Starmer will say: “Jobs, good, union jobs, will be fundamental to cleaner, safer work, new and better infrastructure for Britain.

“I won’t pretend that just because a technology is greener that automatically makes working conditions fairer.

“So, as new nuclear, battery factories and offshore wind re-power Britain, Labour will build strong supply chains that create jobs, new skills and decent wages here in Britain.

“We will work with you and with industry to seize the opportunities of hydrogen, carbon capture and storage.”

Starmer is also set to back the role of unions across the economy, urging firms like Amazon to recognise the GMB.

“We will always see the fight for working people as our driving purpose.

“So we will strengthen the role of trade unions in our society, and I want to see Amazon and businesses like it recognise unions.”

The Labour leader will accuse the Conservative Party of failing to understand the need for economic growth across the country.

“If the City of London races ahead while the rest of Britain stagnates, as long as there was a hint of growth on his spreadsheet, Rishi Sunak would think that’s fine; but it’s not,” he will say.

More than 140 climate, wildlife, political and religious groups and universities – including Friends of the Earth, the RSPB, Christian Aid and the University of Sussex – have signed a letter thanking Starmer for his party’s policy.

They said developing renewables and improving energy efficiency in buildings will better help to improve energy security than allowing more oil and gas, which companies are free to sell on the international market.

The International Energy Agency, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Health Organisation, the UN secretary general and the UK Government’s net zero champion Chris Skidmore have said that new oil and gas development must stop.

Friends of the Earth’s head of climate Jamie Peters praised Labour’s decision saying: “This is what real climate leadership should look like.

“Stopping new fossil fuel developments and investing in energy efficiency will release us from our reliance on expensive and volatile gas and oil, slash emissions, boost the economy, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, increase energy security and help bring down our energy bills.

“It’s time to build a clean, healthy and prosperous future by saying no to new coal, gas and oil.”

Countries around the world, including the UK, agreed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in the Paris Agreement.

Overshooting this could trigger irreversible and catastrophic warming outside human control, which could lead to glaciers melting, destruction of the rainforests and mass death of marine life, scientists have warned.

Climate and net zero minister Graham Stuart has said developing new North Sea oil and gas would be more environmentally friendly than importing it as it would save emissions on shipping and that new oil and gas projects would be approved only if they adhere to the Paris Agreement targets.

Academics and campaigners are concerned that Rosebank – capable of producing around 500 million barrels of oil – will soon be approved for development.

Offshore Energies UK, which represents North Sea oil and gas companies, called Labour’s plans “simplistic” and wants it to “listen to the industry”.

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