Green Dreams, Green Jobs: How Environmental Awareness is Transforming Work

Leaders are key to integrating sustainability into all aspects of an organization, from strategy to influencing its culture.

September 19, 2024. By News Bureau

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Environmental awareness

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Melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and depleting ecosystems have become the status quo. As the world grapples with the increasingly visible effects of climate change, humanity is seeing the transition to a sustainable economy as a lone option.

This shift is creating new business opportunities, with global green industries expected to be worth USD 10.3 trillion by 2050, according to Reuters. But to hit that target, we need people with the right green skills. For instance, Tesla is leading the charge in going green with its electric cars and solar tech. Their Gigafactory in Nevada is a huge bet on clean energy, making batteries and EV parts. It’s not just cutting carbon emissions but also creating tons of jobs for people with green skills. In India, the Union Government is leading the charge with its production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for advanced chemistry cells. These advanced chemistry cells can store electric energy as electrochemical or chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy whenever needed.

Green skills, according to UNFCCC, include technical knowledge, expertise, and abilities that enable the effective use of green technologies and processes in professional settings. Despite the growing need for such jobs, professionals equipped with green skills are hard to come by.

LinkedIn's Global Green Skills Report 2023 revealed that the demand for green skills is set to surpass supply, with green job postings rising by over 15 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year.

However, the lack of endorsement from top management poses a major challenge. That’s why leadership is crucial in driving the green transition. Leaders are key to integrating sustainability into all aspects of an organization, from strategy to influencing its culture. A smooth transition from obsolete norms to cutting-edge sustainability practices is impossible if the C-Suite is not behind it. Senior and C-suite executives, in particular, would gain the most from developing green skills, as their responsibilities include motivating employees and communicating how these skills support the company's goals. This clear communication is essential for encouraging adoption across the organizations.

Another aspect that is emerging is collaboration among green-skill jobs. Private, public, and non-profit partnerships are offering upskilling and reskilling opportunities. For instance, Climate Fresk, a French non-profit, provides climate education to corporations through interactive workshops, while Enterprise Singapore offers mentorship in decarbonisation and sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The demand for green skills is rapidly outpacing the current workforce's ability to deliver. However, all is not lost yet. According to LinkedIn's 2023 Global Green Skills Report, possessing one or more green skills can increase an individual's chances of getting hired by 29 percent. This statistic highlights that every career can be green, not just obvious roles like solar technicians or sustainability managers.

Efrem Bycer from LinkedIn emphasizes, "It's not just about adding more obvious green jobs, it's also about using skills to transform every job into a greener, more sustainability-minded version." This perspective opens up opportunities for workers in traditional careers to contribute to a greener future.

But there is no denying that the challenges remain. Access to green skills training, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, is limited. There's also a growing ‘green talent war,’ with salary competitiveness becoming a significant obstacle in sectors struggling to retain newly invested talent.

Moreover, as junior green talent enters organizations, there's a pressing need to develop career pathways beyond entry-level roles. Without clear progression opportunities, sustainability professionals may leave organizations, including those invested in their development.

It’s time leaders understood it's not just about creating new green jobs but about transforming every job into its more sustainable version. As we approach critical climate summits like COP29, it's becoming imminent to equip our workforce with green skills. The future of work is indeed green, and it's a future that promises environmental benefits, economic opportunities, and career growth for those willing to adapt and learn. The challenge now is to bridge the gap between ambition and action, ensuring that green skills development becomes a priority across all levels of the workforce.

- Pranay Prakash, CHRO, BluWheelz