Green Career Paths

The Trojan Horse approach for sustainability careers. Most sustainability professionals don't start in sustainability roles. They begin elsewhere and strategically integrate their environmental expertise into core business functions. They understand that companies are not hiring sustainability experts. They are hiring experts who think sustainably. They master essential business capabilities first, then embed sustainability thinking throughout their work. This strategic integration creates professionals who speak the language of business while advancing environmental goals, across multiple business functions. Financial Services: Analysts and bankers are incorporating climate risk modeling into investment decisions and developing innovative green financing products. Operations Management: Engineers are implementing waste reduction and circular economy principles and designs into manufacturing processes. Technology Development: Software developers are building ESG data platforms and creating automated systems for carbon tracking and reporting. Strategic Planning: Business strategists are embedding long-term environmental considerations into corporate planning frameworks. Marketing and Branding: Marketers are developing purpose-driven and sustainable brands, and focusing on stakeholder engagement and transparency. The professionals advancing in the sustainability market are those who have established credibility in core business areas while developing deep environmental expertise. This combination enables them to influence decision-making from positions of established trust and competence.

I was invited to speak to the Chief Sustainability Officer group at the World Economic Forum during climate Week. I urged us all to take control of the narrative. Here is a summary... Let’s shift the narrative. As sustainability leaders… Let’s not talk about decarbonization as emissions. Let’s talk about it as innovation that drives: ·    energy cost savings, ·    avoidance of energy pricing volatility ·    avoidance of carbon fees ·    reduced maintenance ·    increased productivity ·    sales lift Let’s not talk about tons of waste diverted from landfill and reused, let’s talk about it as innovation that reduces: ·    virgin input costs ·    waste disposal costs ·    exposure to geopolitical risk in supply chains ·    exposure to tariffs (e.g. Renault is putting 45% of used car components into new cars) Our research into the Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI) shows that sustainability is just good management.   The methodology (developed with companies) has found nine value drivers associated with sustainability, including operational efficiency, risk reduction, employee retention and productivity, sales and marketing, and and innovation and growth. For example, innovation is about identifying a problem or an opportunity. It can be focused on process, product or service. It can be incremental or transformative. From a sustainability perspective, innovations fall into two broad buckets:  ·    innovating sustainability improvements in an industry or a category ·    innovating with a process, product or service that is needed by society. The first approach requires understanding the material ESG issues for the sector and designing solutions that tackle that issue, while also improving the underlying value proposition - -which sustainability can do. The second approach is tougher, but has more potential to go big: Innovating to solve broad societal problems such as water scarcity, plastic packaging pollution and health impacts, tackling the carbon transition, social inequity and so on. Here we might look at innovation such as 3D printing (e.g. on demand) using recycled inputs – tires, dresses, construction materials etc. We might look at bio-based plastic made from air and methane-based greenhouse gas dissolved in saltwater, recyclable through biological digestion. We might look at how to give immigrants and others with no credit history access to credit through tracking ontime rental payments. So as you work with your companies, help them understand that managing the material ESG issues for their sector and company is not a reporting and compliance exercise. It is a good management exercise that can drive everything from operational efficiency to sales and customer loyalty to innovation that will help the bottomline. Put in place methods such as ROSI with your finance team or ESG controller to track the financial benefits so you can get sustainability to the speed and scale you and the planet want and need. 

Ready for a new career resource? I'm often asked by students for help making sense of #climate career paths. There's so much work to be done! What does a "climate job" look like? Who's hiring? In partnership with Project Drawdown, we've published a new ClimateCAP career roadmap. Start with the climate action you care about most--investing in solutions? reducing emissions directly? advancing climate policy?--and then take a look at our breakdown of possible career paths. We'd love feedback and suggestions for future iterations! This landscape is always changing.

Today I have been asking myself the question: What if we're solving the wrong problem - chasing AI disruption while the real opportunity for human flourishing lies in the green economy? AI is getting all the headlines, but here's what the data actually shows: 🔹 AI impact: Creates 11M jobs, displaces 9M → Net gain: 2M jobs 🔹 Green transition: Creates 34M jobs with minimal displacement That's a 17:1 ratio in favor of green jobs. 🤯 Yet 90% of workforce discussions focus on AI disruption while climate jobs barely make the news. Why this massive disconnect? ✅ AI grabs attention - ChatGPT created immediate, visible change ✅ Green jobs seem gradual - but they're happening faster than we think ✅ Tech giants drive the narrative - while green jobs are distributed across industries ✅ 40% of employers expect AI workforce reductions - creating immediate anxiety The reality check: 1.2 billion jobs depend on healthy ecosystems Green jobs are harder to automate Climate action is literally existential Green skills show 22% growth in job postings vs 12% in available workers. Our future depends on our ability to close this gap. For professionals: While everyone's learning prompt engineering, there's a massive opportunity to apply YOUR existing skills to green roles: 🌱 Accountants → Carbon accounting & green finance 🌱 Teachers → Sustainability training & green skills education 🌱 IT professionals → Energy management systems & smart grids 🌱 Recruiters → Green talent acquisition (fastest growing field!) 🌱 Project managers → Renewable energy projects 🌱 Sales/Marketing → Clean tech & sustainable products ... and many more Maybe we should focus our upskilling efforts where the real job growth is happening? What do you think - are we chasing AI shiny objects while missing the green goldmine? Data sources: World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025, International Labour Organization, Manpower Global insights sustainability and the rise of green and turquoise jobs

Two acquaintances of mine (Alvin Lim from Climate Bridge International and Izzat Hamzah from 3Degrees) who are experienced carbon services professionals are quoted in this Straits Times article. "For Mr Alvin Lim, chief executive of local carbon project developer Climate Bridge International, the challenge goes beyond qualifications. He looks for three things in a potential hire: First, the person needs to demonstrate interest in the carbon markets by reading avidly, taking courses and doing internships. This will be reflected in the depth of knowledge, including a good grasp of project types, UN rules on carbon trading, and carbon market policies in other countries. Second, the person must be intellectually curious, he said. It is the third trait that Mr Lim has been struggling to find in local job-seekers after months of interviews – the grit and willingness to work in remote countries to oversee and monitor carbon projects. Most of the projects Singapore is expected to approve are likely to be hosted in the Global South, which includes countries in Latin America, Africa and South-east Asia. “Some people see this as an adventure and others see this as a hardship trip. What if I tell them: ‘Can you please go to Ghana and live there for a month and help us monitor the project?’ And what if you need to travel 25 per cent of the year? “And this is not even the capital of Ghana, it could be two hours away in the middle of nowhere,” Mr Lim said. “We are looking for candidates with grit and the ability to be resourceful in finding solutions, especially when operating in unfamiliar environments with limited support.” Mr Izzat Hamzah from global climate solutions provider 3Degrees believes that sustainability is less of a domain and more of a lens – a perspective that someone aspiring to join the climate space should adopt. It is about having core expertise, whether in economics, law, engineering or computer science, and applying those skills in sustainability, he said. A sustainability professional should be a “Jack of all trades, a master of some”, said the Asia-Pacific lead for trading and origination of environmental commodities. “When folks ask how they can build a career in sustainability, they miss the point. The real question is: ‘How do I develop deep expertise in my current profession – be it law or engineering – and then gear it to sustainability?”" https://lnkd.in/gQ_ug7kz

When I get asked, “So… what’s your job?” I usually laugh and say: “Do you have time?” I work in one of the most innovative (and most misunderstood) parts of climate: carbon markets. At their core, carbon markets are about moving money from the biggest polluters to real climate solutions. When they work well, capital flows to projects that actually reduce or remove emissions - and that money ends up with people that remove or reduce carbon. Often in the global south. That’s where my work comes in. Carbon markets sound abstract from the outside. From the inside, the work is very real. Some weeks I’m running a startup. Other days I’m managing projects, working with partners, advising clients, shaping strategy, hiring (and sometimes firing), dealing with legal and accounting, tracking delivery, fixing processes, and spending far too much time in PowerPoint and Excel. It doesn’t look tidy. It isn’t glamorous. And it’s very easy to explain badly. But what I’m actually doing is helping build systems people and investors can trust - so that money doesn’t just move, but moves to the right projects, with integrity. And that’s the part I care most about. Because underneath all the spreadsheets and meetings, this work has meaning: cleaner air, healthier ecosystems, and a future where living in balance with nature isn’t an ideal, it’s normal. That’s the job. That’s what I do. PS: What’s the part of your job that people never quite get?

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. We wrote an South China Morning Post SCMP letter to emphasize important points for students and early-career professionals, along with Qihan Geng and Thibaud Voïta, Ph.D. 🛢️ Fossil fuels still hold power in many regions. Yet despite the noise, our energy system and the world are shifting. 👉 Last year, renewable energies created 8.4 million jobs while fossil fuels lost 2.7 million. 👉 Asia represents two-thirds of global clean energy jobs, with China accounting for 46%, totaling 7.4 million people! The sector demands a broad and growing workforce beyond engineering roles. 1️⃣ Energy transitions unfold through vast industrial ecosystems, contributing to job creation in areas like program management, marketing, and business development. 2️⃣ There are opportunities in roles not directly related to projects. In China, over 450 A-share listed companies, accounting for 51% of market capitalization, must follow new sustainability reporting guidelines set by the Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing stock exchanges. Evolving regulations are fueling demand for ESG and compliance professionals, with growing opportunities for analysts, advisors, and sustainability officers. To take advantage of these opportunities: 👉 A technical background helps, but it’s no longer the barrier it once was. Industry-specific certifications and basic familiarity with emerging technologies can go a long way. 👉 People remain at the center of the transition, and soft skills like communication, adaptability, and collaboration are best developed through real-world experience (internships, volunteering, freelance projects). 👉 The sector, once male-dominated, is becoming more inclusive in terms of gender and professional background. 🔑 Energy transitions offer growth potential. To succeed, proactive career strategies are essential. Career opportunities are defined by unconventional moves such as reskilling and upskilling! 📍 For these reasons, we created the new MSc - Management of Energy Transitions. Link below for more info! Nikola Zivlak William-HUA Wang Marion Lempereur Emeline Santoulangue

The biggest myth about climate careers? That you have to take a pay cut for purpose. The data says the exact opposite. A new report from RMIT University and Deloitte (linked in the comments) reveals the market is paying a significant ‘green premium’ for managers with climate skills – an average of 13% more, or an extra $13,000 annually. 💰 This is a clear price signal from a market facing a severe talent bottleneck. That same report projects a need for over 1 million more green-skilled workers in Australia by 2030, just to keep pace with demand from medium and large businesses. The Clean Energy Council backs this up, suggesting the energy transition alone could create an additional 604,000 jobs by 2030. When does a skills 'gap' start to look more like a careers 'gold rush'? And while businesses report that cost and time are major barriers to upskilling their own teams, that creates a huge opportunity for proactive individuals. But what does this 'green premium' look like in real life? It looks like Rob Chan. I recently featured Rob in my #HumansOfSydneyClimateAction series (see carousel or https://lnkd.in/gNp_62sg). Look no further than this to see how expert skills can be leveraged for climate impact. After influential roles at mobility giants like Uber and Zoomo, he’s now the Managing Director for Turo Australia, actively decarbonising transport by scaling the car-sharing marketplace. Rob’s "ah-ha!" moment was deeply personal, intertwined with becoming a parent during the Black Summer bushfires. That personal drive, combined with his deep professional expertise in marketplaces, made his skillset incredibly valuable to a sector desperate for experienced leaders. He's a great example of how you don't start from scratch. You pivot. I see this pattern all over our Climate Crew community. It's people like James Butler, taking his deep strategic experience from Bain & Company and Qantas to become Head of Strategy at Ausgrid, right at the heart of the energy transition. It's Alison Chan, transitioning from a decade as a Director at a magic circle law firm to become a leader in sustainable finance. Their stories prove the point: the challenge is learning to translate world-class skills from other industries to bridge the perceived 'experience gap'. Engineers, accountants, marketers, lawyers, project managers – your expertise is in high demand. A year ago, I invested in myself by taking the Terra.do 'Learning for Action' course to deepen my own climate knowledge. It helped me connect my existing skills in photography and storytelling to where they could have the most impact. The transition doesn't need everyone to become a climate scientist. It needs skilled professionals to apply what they already know to solving new, urgent and well-funded problems. The opportunity is immense. The demand is proven. The premium is real. #GreenSkills #ClimateCareers #CareerPivot #EnergyTransition

The energy transition has always needed three things. Technology, investment and people. We've made progress on the first two. The third has however lagged. Yesterday's Clean Energy Jobs Plan seeks to fill that gap. 400k additional roles by 2030, taking total employment in clean energy to 860k. The plan specifies where the key needs are. Plumbers, electricians, welders - the skilled trades that build and maintain energy infrastructure, the roles where demand will exceed supply without intervention. Five Technical Excellence Colleges will focus training on these bottlenecks. Regional pilots in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire will test the approach, and £18m has been set aside to help oil and gas workers transition. Perhaps the most important change however is the role of coordination. Previously we've assumed the market would self-correct, but now we're - correctly - accepting that won't happen fast enough. This also means energy companies now have workforce projections they can plan against. Training providers know what skills to develop. Workers can see where opportunities exist. Skills shortages have been seen as a key risk to decarbonisation efforts for some time. Not the only one, but a significant one. We now have a plan that seeks to tackle it properly. Image via PA. Link to the announcement in the comments. BFY Group

Amazon’s investment in sustainable aviation fuel producer GranBio is another strong signal of where the global economy is heading. Major global companies are increasingly investing in, developing, and testing emerging technologies that have the potential to reduce carbon emissions across their operations, from transportation and buildings to packaging and supply chains. This matters for New Zealand. Decarbonising aviation is one of the hardest challenges on the pathway to net zero 2050. Yet it is essential if we are to remain a desirable trading partner, a high-value tourism destination, and a credible participant in a low-carbon global economy. For hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, marine transport, and industrial heat, bioenergy is often one of the most practical and scalable solutions. In aviation, sustainable aviation fuel offers a drop-in replacement for conventional jet fuel, compatible with existing aircraft engines and infrastructure, while significantly reducing life-cycle emissions. New Zealand has a real opportunity to build new industries that create onshore jobs, reduce emissions, and strengthen our energy independence. With our forestry resources, existing capability, and regional expertise, we are well placed to develop a domestic sustainable aviation fuel industry based on waste wood and forestry residues. Work by the Bioeconomy Science Institute's Bioenergy team has shown the scale of this opportunity: ✅A domestic waste-wood SAF industry could generate up to $430 million annually for Aotearoa. ✅SAF can reduce life-cycle emissions by up to 80% compared with traditional jet kerosene. ✅Developing a local SAF industry could support an estimated 6,400 infrastructure development jobs, and a similar number of direct and indirect permanent jobs. Companies, countries, and regions that move early will be best positioned to capture the value from the emerging low-carbon economy. For New Zealand, sustainable aviation fuel is not only a climate solution. It is an opportunity to turn our biological resources, science capability, and regional strengths into new industries, new jobs, and greater resilience. #SustainableAviationFuel #Bioeconomy #Forestry #Decarbonisation #NewZealand Joe Gallaher Paul Bennett https://lnkd.in/eyCnAaMT