You may have heard talk of the new “green economy” and the wave of new green jobs sweeping America—or maybe not. As important as the transition to a green, clean economy is, it often isn’t talked about outside of environmentalist or political silos; ones that are not always the most easily accessed.
We’re breaking that barrier today by unpacking the concept of a green economy and talking about the present and future of green jobs in America (more on that in a bit).
According to the UN Environment Programme, a green economy is one that “results in improved human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecology scarcities…one that is low carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive.”
In its most basic form, a green economy is one that prioritizes 3 key factors: sustainability, social justice, and locally produced and exchanged goods and services.
It is critical that we, on a global scale, make the transition to a green economy and shift away from the carbon economy we currently live with. Countless research has been done, showing the highly dangerous and predatory nature of fossil fuels, and how our world and the people in it are suffering as a result. To learn more about the damaging nature of fossil fuels, check out this blog on fracking.
And this leads us to the discussion of green jobs.
In order to have a successful green economy, we must have jobs that support environmental and social wellness in all facets of a given community. To put simply, green jobs are those that produce sustainable goods and/or services or that reduce a company or organization’s environmental impact.
Today, there are over 800 million jobs worldwide considered highly vulnerable to climate extremes and the economic transition to net zero emissions. That said, experts believe that a just transition to net zero has the capacity to not only address these 800 million jobs but add an additional 300 million to the global job market, which is significantly more than the 32 million the fossil fuel industry employs today.
That said, numbers are easy to throw around, but human experience is not. 32 million people are at risk of losing their jobs or facing a career transition out of the livelihood they’re used to. It will be critical for governments and businesses to provide the necessary training and education needed to help millions of workers adopt new green skills that will benefit them and all of us in a net zero economy. (More on this in the next section.)
It’s believed that one-third of the entire U.S. labor force—more than 51 million people—have the capacity to be reskilled into green jobs, and this can happen in large swaths across the economy, from architects and engineers to graphic designers, manufacturers, retailers, and tech developers. There is no shortage of potential when it comes to sustainability in the workforce. According to the research company Deloitte, 80% of the skills needed to achieve net zero already exist in the workforce.
Teaching green skills isn’t just critical to building a comprehensive green economy, but it’s essential to doing so equitably. The vast majority of workers (80% to 84%) who transitioned into green roles in 2023 did so while already possessing green skills.
To make this transition more equitable, both now and in the future, policymakers and business leaders need to prepare the workforce and invest in future green talent.
Unfortunately, there is a direct link between a country’s income level and their level of green hiring. Financially secure countries saw green talent grow by 39% in 2023 compared to the 18% shown in more developing nations.
There is also a significant global gender gap when it comes to green jobs, with only 62 women for every 100 men considered to have the desired green skills for the new job market.
It is going to be essential that throughout this transition and the roll-out of new green jobs, governments—local, state, national, and international—are maintaining a social dialogue with workers, employers and unions to determine the design and implementation of new sustainable production systems. Listening to the wants and needs of workers amidst this transition is what will enable an equal and equitable transition for all.
So… where do we stand right now?
Current studies show that for every 10,000 workers who leave their job, only 1 worker transitions into a green role. That’s not a lot. And while green jobs have been increasing in the marketplace by roughly 8% every year for the past five years, economists and environmentalists both predict that, very soon, the number of green jobs available are going to outstrip the number of professionals with the required skills.
Sectors with the largest predicted growth include—
In the United States alone, there were 1.4 million green jobs posted in 2022. 410,000 of those were considered “core” green jobs (meaning they directly work with environmental products or services in some way—e.g., solar panel installation). It’s believed that this number will only continue to increase, somewhere between 5% and 20% in the coming years.
That means we need to ramp up green skills training, and we need to do it now. With transition on the horizon and a workforce in need of support, there is literally no time to waste. There is no doubt that the shift to a green economy is the right choice for both people and the planet; it’s what’s necessary to keep communities and the environment healthy and thriving. However, the time for action is now.
CONTENT QUESTIONS:
info@earthshare.org
PLATFORM QUESTIONS:
support@earthshare.org
Regenerative agriculture is the practice of enriching the land through farming and other agricultural practices; an effort that has been led by Indigenous Communities for thousands of years. Rather than stripping the ground of its nutrients, regenerative practices add to the health and strength of the soil and the overall ecosystem. In essence, it’s a decolonization of agriculture. 1“Regenerative Agriculture 101,” Natural Resources Defense Council ≫; “Native Growers Decolonize Regenerative Agriculture,” Green America ≫
Regenerative agriculture, as noted by One Earth, is “a pathway to an abundant and resilient future . . . shifting from the narrative of human dominion to one of healing our relationship with the Earth.” As a result, farms become more resistant to climate-related threats such as drought, flooding, and extreme shifts in temperature.2“Regenerative Agriculture and Food Systems,” One Earth ≫
Sustainable agriculture is the final step toward achieving regenerative agriculture. This is accomplished, in part, through the introduction of practices to improve environmental health, reduce the use of freshwater and harmful pesticides, and improve carbon storage in the soil.