Our thinking

Green is booming

6 May, 2022

The sustainability jobs market is booming (and on that note, we are also hiring). As businesses make a welcome corporate shift towards lower carbon, more responsible operations, the market for such jobs doesn’t seem like it will be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, the UK government has pledged to create two million green jobs by 2030, to support its net zero goals.

But working to transition to a more sustainable economy can’t just be about well-paid engineering roles in high tech industries or professional services. This shift needs to reflect an entire systems change that democratises smart sustainable choices at every level of experience and training, in every department, of your business, from your carpenter to your CEO. This is exactly what a new report from Deloitte emphasises: the need to build in green skills into all sorts of roles.

The transition to a green economy will not be complete if only those with “green” jobs are working towards it. Although these roles are important, alone they will not be successful in creating the change we need. As the report says, bricklayers know how to lay traditional bricks, but will need to learn how to lay lower carbon bricks – which are usually thinner – to support the effort towards lower carbon housing. Everyone needs new skills in the green transition.

This report is great and worth a read. However, we would have liked to see a focus on broader dimensions of sustainability aside from just the green elements. A just transition means focusing on social issues, including inequality, opportunity and community cohesion. We can’t consider working towards greener food production workforce and system without considering the social change it requires or implications it might have, which in turn will influence the success or failure of such a system.

By Marie Guérinet