What changes will we see?
The green agenda brings both risks and opportunities in terms of jobs. Some roles are becoming more vulnerable as we move away from certain industries; however, new jobs are being created all the time.
According to research published in 2022 by Deloitte into working towards a net zero future:
“Today, more than 800 million jobs worldwide are highly vulnerable to climate extremes and the economic transition to net zero…. But with coordinated and rapid decarbonization and the right policies in place, more than 300 million additional Green Collar jobs can be created by 2050.”
It’s inevitable that as we move towards a green economy, certain roles will decline, particularly those that are in high-emitting industries, or those that work in sectors that rely on specific climates (e.g., use of land). Deloitte identify the following sectors as being the most vulnerable to change:
- Heavy industry and manufacturing
Although some jobs are in decline, there are also roles that are growing in demand, such as those that will support low-emissions sectors. There will also be many jobs that don’t yet exist but will emerge and be vital in our drive to a green future.
It’s also never too late to continue learning and to reskill. Deloitte highlight that: “most current workers are likely to require upskilling (i.e., on-the-job training), rather than complete retraining (i.e., obtaining a new qualification) to remain in their current job type or to gain a new job due to decarbonization.”
Many of the skills that individuals develop over their careers are transferable. According to the Deloitte research, “80% of skills required in transformed and new net-zero jobs in the short to medium term, are used in the current workforce”.
This means, for example, that those currently working in oil and gas, could find that hydrogen and carbon capture are industries where similar skill sets are required. As reported in 2022 by The Economy 2030 Inquiry, around 90% of those working in oil and gas in the UK have medium to high skills transferability in terms of moving into other energy sectors.
As technology is evolving at a very rapid pace, it’s really important for those in the workplace to upskill and to ensure that the future talent pipeline is skilled in the right areas.