A green future

Sustainable development is all about ensuring that we are ready for the present and prepared for the future, by using and developing resources in the right way now.

Sustainable development encompasses many different areas, taking into consideration relevant social, environmental and economic factors. This is important because each area is interlinked, and we need to take a holistic and global view.

Sustainable resource use refers to using the planet’s finite resources, such as rare earths and minerals, sustainably, while minimising environmental effects. Instead of a process in which resources are taken, made into products, and then discarded as landfill, a resource-efficient model seeks to reuse and repair products, and then to recycle them at the end of their lifespan. It enables us to produce new or repaired products with fewer input resources and, overall, to achieve more value with less input.

Some of the key skills and roles that are needed in the waste, recycling and circular economy include:

The word ‘carbon’ is often used as a proxy for all greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases generated by human activity have caused the planet to warm up. When something is described as being ‘low carbon’ it is generally being defined as a product, process or activity that generates or releases less carbon dioxide than similar alternative products, processes or activities.

You will often hear the term net zero. In the UK, we have a target of reaching net zero by 2050, which means we need to achieve a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. We reach net zero when the amount we add is no more than the amount taken away.

Across the UK species studied have declined on average by 19% since 1970 (State of Nature, 2023) Nature provides resources for individuals, businesses and our economy. To preserve resources, we need to reduce the negative impacts that we have on nature. To do this, individuals and organisations alike must understand their impacts on nature and start to manage them. We must also start to react in a nature positive way, restoring and confirming resources for the future. Action on nature and action on climate must be considered together.

The Environmental Improvement Plan in the UK, published by DEFRA, has 10 core goals, which include supporting thriving plants and wildlife, clean air and water, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and using natural resources more sustainably.

Some of the key skills and roles needed to ensure that we are using our land and water sustainably include:

View our job profiles for more information on green roles

Sustainability isn’t just about the environment. Being socially inclusive helps to ensure equal opportunities to individuals worldwide, so that everyone can achieve their full potential in life.

A core theme in sustainability is the ‘just transition’, which is making sure that the transition to a green and more sustainable economy is fair, ensuring decent work, social inclusion and poverty eradication.

Green careers can directly help the environment in areas such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles, increasing and protecting nature, environmental science sustainability, and climate change adaptation. It also includes responsibilities in the circular economy, which help us use our resources more sustainably and repair them through recycling and other methods. There is no doubt that green jobs and green skills will be needed to meet our current and future needs.