The Career Guide to Green Jobs
Transcript
- 1. HARVEY YAU AND JOSEPH LAMPINEN THE CAREER GUIDE TO GREEN JOBS
- 2. /02 Whether you’re beginning your studies, entering the workforce, or transitioning to a new career, a green job could be your way of earning a good living while simultaneously having a long-term positive impact. It’s always wise to pick a career path that promises longevity and growth. Green jobs are found in nearly every industry, from renewable energy and water conservation to food manufacturing and property management. Though the term is rather broad, the single determining factor is that a green job benefits or supports conservation in some manner. For example, it’s easy to understand how a wind turbine engineer’s work benefits the renewable energy sector and therefore conservation. But how about a package designer who creates low-waste food packaging from recycled materials? Or a property manager who reduces a building’s energy consumption by implementing and maintaining new energy-efficient measures? Because all of these positions adhere to environmentally friendly practices, they qualify as green jobs, as do many more across a broad spectrum of industries. INTRODUCTION GREEN JOBS DEFINED The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines green jobs as the following: 1. Jobs that produce goods or services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources. 2. Jobs in which workers’ primary duties involve the use of green technologies or practices that have a favorable impact on the environment.
- 3. /03 WHY GREEN CAREERS ARE GOLDEN?
- 4. Why green jobs are on the rise? Green jobs are vital to the health of our planet. The world’s fossil fuel resources are finite, industrial consumption of water and other natural resources tax the ecosystem, while regulatory pressure and public interest seek to reduce greenhouse emissions. In addition, a rapidly growing population will place further pressure on our planet. The global population currently totals more than 7 billion, and it’s set to grow to more than 10 billion by the next century.1 It’s clear that efforts to preserve our environment seek to create a global, green infrastructure that places sustainability front and center. Increasingly more professions focus on reducing consumption of energy and other assets while simultaneously developing methods to reuse and recycle existing resources. And in order to meet these objectives, a green economy is being developed that stands on the shoulders of green jobs and promotes environmentally friendly practices. WHY GREEN CAREERS ARE GOLDEN? /04 1 Report by Brooking: sizing the clean economy a national and regional green jobs assessment
- 5. /05WHY GREEN CAREERS ARE GOLDEN? Why choose a green career? The number of green jobs is growing fast. Across the globe, strides are being made to invest in green policies by allocating funds and granting tax breaks for the purposes of green jobs training and education. Since 2011, when the United States committed itself to taking stronger measures to protect global resources, almost 250,000 clean energy jobs have been added in the U.S. alone, according to Environment News Service. Additionally, nations such as China, Japan, and the United Kingdom have also pledged to invest in a green economy. And with investment comes not only the opportunity for more business, but also for more training and education. All of this comes at a time when Gen Y is poised to become the largest generation of workers. These young, digitally connected workers possess a strong social awareness and sense of responsibility. They understand the value of sustainability for the future, both as a business and an environmental interest. Workers today don’t just want to work: they want to find meaning in their careers.2 2 Gen Now: Understanding the Multi-Gen Workforce and the Coming Leadership Deficit GREEN JOBS OFFER PROFESSIONALS A WAY TO PERFORM MEANINGFUL WORK WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LONG TERM- CAREER GROWTH.
- 6. /06WHY GREEN CAREERS ARE GOLDEN? Current demand and future growth potential The number of green jobs worldwide runs into the tens of millions, according to estimates by the International Labor Organization. As the world adopts more green policies and invests more in sustainability, anywhere between 15 and 60 million green jobs will be added in the coming years. Job growth in the renewable energy sector alone has been increasing globally at a pace of 21% annually.3 3 http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm BETWEEN 15 AND 60 MILLION GREEN JOBS WILL BE ADDED IN THE COMING YEARS