If you are one of the growing number of people who care about environmental issues, and would like to align your values with your working life, finding a “green†job or developing a “green†career may look daunting.
It can be difficult to find an employer who matches your vision and ideals and makes a genuine contribution rather than engaging in “green washâ€. You may be unclear about the range of job opportunities available, and what qualifications or specific skills are needed. You may already be aware that changes in legislation and policy have caused some parts of the green sector to stagnate while others are growing rapidly - it can be difficult to identify where the real prospects for career development lie.
WHERE ARE THE JOBS, WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS?
In 2007, estimates suggested there were 800,000 “green jobs†in the UK, and recent calculations
suggest this could rise to 1.27 million by 2015. A wide variety of jobs already exist, and new
roles are evolving in different areas.
In the new green industries such as renewable energy, job opportunities are growing as
investment conditions become more favorable and public acceptance of new technologies
increases.
There are also opportunities to work for organizations which provide sustainability
consulting and carbon advisory services. These continue to grow to meet the demand from
other businesses for help understanding changing policy agendas at both the national and
international level.
Companies which have successfully innovated to produce greener goods or services are found
in every area of industrial activity - particularly food and drink, household products, transport,
logistics and distribution. Greener goods or services can be defined as those which have been
re-engineered to reduce environmental impact – for example clothing made from recycled
textiles, which produces fewer environmental impacts in processes such as production, and an
overall reduction in resource use. Organic food products generally also have fewer
environmental impacts due to lower pesticide use. The success of businesses such as these has
been copied by others leading to more job opportunities.
Further growth will be driven by new legislative requirements including carbon accounting or
by pressure from consumers and other stakeholders.
Many other businesses are changing to operate more sustainably by reducing their use of resources such as energy and water, and reducing the amount of waste and pollution they produce. These businesses exist in every part of the traditional economy, providing an ever increasing range of job opportunities.
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