Can every job become a 'green job'?
The UK Governments Green Jobs Taskforce Final Report stated that “Every job has the potential to become ‘green’ as the world moves to combat climate change”. An interesting statement, considering a recent report by LinkedIn shows that green jobs, and those with the ability to become green or considered green, are not growing at a pace that will meet demand. The same LinkedIn report states “This is the moment to turn to urgent climate action — good for the planet and good for workers. More jobs, more opportunities, even in times of global crisis. The pandemic has shown that green talent can be more resilient than non-green talent. Each region and sector must turn attention to more green skills and jobs in every corner of the world, to power the urgent transition”.
This could be considered a paradox in the hiring landscape. The demand is still very high for talent within the green roles that do exist and the skills in short supply (particularly in Sustainability). If we have any chance of meeting green targets, organisations will need to embrace ways in which to become greener and more sustainable in their approach (and therefore create more green jobs). The demand for green skills is currently outpacing supply, and competition will continue to be fierce, on the race to 2030 through to 2050.
Equally, in addition to the gap between jobs and talent, the gender gap (as well as the education gap), is not closing fast enough for the Sustainability (green jobs) sector. More males than females are currently considered as being “green talent”. LinkedIn found that globally, in 2021 there are only 62 women for every 100 men considered green talent - a number that has been somewhat stagnant since 2015. It appears men are migrating to greener jobs faster than women, so Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I), will also become an issue moving forward.
If you’re struggling to find Sustainability & ESG, Environment, Energy or Health & Safety talent, Allen & York can help. We’ve been recruiting in the green economy since 1993. And we want to continue to grow responsible businesses.
Get in touch to find out more about our Executive Search & Recruitment services and how, together, we can fill more green jobs at: scooney@allen-york.com