Green Career Paths

According to the World Economic Forum’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, around 𝟑𝟗 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 are expected to change by 2030. Among the 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. This shows that the 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. For professionals today, it is no longer enough to be technically competent in your domain. What sets 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 is how well they 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 into everything they do. I have noticed that individuals who begin saying things like “I optimise for resource efficiency” or “I design with circular value in mind” get asked different questions and enter different conversations. One memory that stands out is a marketing lead I advised. They reframed a campaign as “reducing material waste in the value chain” instead of simply “brand awareness.” The outcome changed: client meetings became 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥. 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫. Here are seven 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 that will define 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 in the coming decade 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Recognising your role as part of wider ecological, social, and value chains 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Designing for reuse, repair, and renewal rather than single use 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 – Interpreting energy use, carbon footprint, and resource flow data 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – Guiding teams through sustainable transition 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 – Accepting that what you know today will evolve and proactively adapting your competence 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – Taking conscious responsibility for resource impact 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Innovating with both business growth and ecological and social impact in mind 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐭 If you want to remain relevant in the decade ahead, start weaving these green skills into your current role instead of waiting for a “green job” label. The market will reward those who think sustainably from day one, not just those who switch roles. Which green skill will you develop in the next six months, and how will it shape your professional story? LinkedIn #LinkedInGreenSkills #COP30 #FutureOfWork #CareerGrowth #Sustainability #GreenSkills

Here are three key pieces of advice for those beginning their careers in AI and Sustainability (drawn from my two decades of experience) ... 1. Master the fundamentals first In both AI and sustainability, foundational literacy is non-negotiable. Learn basic coding, critical thinking, understand materiality assessments, scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, as well as regulatory frameworks such as ... > the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) > Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) > Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) > the GHG Protocol 2. Invest in yourself The most sustainable asset in your career will always be you. Learn to learn. Attend quality and often free online training, join conferences, pick up general or specialized ESG certifications. Keep up with the latest thinking. Some notable annual events on climate action, social and environmental stewardship are … 📍Climate Week NYC 📍COP 30, United Nations Climate Change Conference  📍World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos Some of the most storied AI & ML Conferences include ... - NeurIPS, Neural Information Processing Systems - a focus on neural networks https://nips.cc - [ICML] Int'l Conference on Machine Learning, International Conference on Machine Learning - is focused on machine learning in general https://icml.cc - ICLR, International Conference on Learning Representations - with deep learning or learning representations as a thrust area https://iclr.cc 3. Seek interdisciplinary exposure The most valuable roles in the future may well be the emerging are "Sustainable AI Engineers" who understand both ML algorithms and environmental systems. And here's one important insight that’s often overlooked … Reach out to industry mentors who might be happy to guide you on your learning and experimentation journey. Their guidance can accelerate both your learning and impact. I hope that this serves as a useful starting point. Feel free to tag someone who might benefit from this advice! #Career #AI #Sustainability

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

LinkedIn recently asked me for my best piece of advice for professionals who may be interested in a career within the sustainability space, whether with a larger firm or startup? Here are my thoughts. For those who are who looking to the future and planning for a career in the ESG space, I'd suggest gaining formal education in a specific area. Over time the generalist sustainability role will become obsolete, the demand for specialist expertise will increase and the available talent will be limited. If I wanted to plan for an ESG role in 2026/27, I'd be studying for a formal qualification and working in an aligned role to gain experience today. For those who are on the hunt for the perfect role right now, one very important piece of advice from me would be to ensure you understand and accept the organisation's position, maturity and appetite for social and environmental impact. You need to work with a company that is aligned to your values. Being responsible for sustainability in an established business is already an uphill battle, it would be unpleasant to work for a company who is only wanting some green sparkle on top if you are deeply invested in changing the world. Not all sustainability roles are created equal and not all companies treat them with the respect they deserve.. take the time to find the right fit. Alignment is critical! #sustainability #greenertogether #LinkedInNewsAustralia

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

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

It's encouraging to witness the renewable industry's strategic focus on immediate skill shortages. The training programmes, encompassing solar panel installation, building upgrades, and EV charging, align with the evolving landscape of energy needs and underscore our commitment to achieving ambitious renewable energy targets.   While some roles necessitate profound scientific expertise, the emphasis on corporate in-house training and technical academies is pragmatic. Collaboration between industry and government, as seen through funding schemes and grants, is pivotal. The £5 million heat training grant and "returnerships" not only incentivise training but also recognise the multi-generational workforce needed for a seamless transition to renewable technologies.   However, challenges persist, especially for self-employed tradespeople juggling training with income. The economic implications of time spent away from work must be addressed through innovative solutions, acknowledging the realities faced by small business owners.   By investing in training and addressing stakeholders' concerns, we're paving the way for a greener energy future and creating meaningful job opportunities. The challenges are substantial, but so are the potential rewards for both our environment and society.   https://lnkd.in/esQv6yYk

𝗦𝗼, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆? 🌱 You’re not alone - and that’s the challenge The space is heating up (in all senses), so here’s what I recommend 👇 🎧 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 My go-to podcasts for climate & sustainability learning: → Outrage + Optimism → The Climate Question from the BBC → First Mile | Certified B Corp's Climate Heroes → Sustainability Uncovered by edie → Planet: Critical → Straight Talking Sustainability by Emma Burlow → The Sustainability Agenda by Fergal Byrne 🌍 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Check out the companies in these networks: → Impact Hustlers (community + podcast) → Unreasonable Group → Tech Nation's Net Zero cohorts → The Chivas Venture 📬 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗮 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 Getting hired at mission-driven orgs is competitive So you've got to make your email *personal* (no ChatGPT here!) → Why are you committing your life to this? → How does sustainability align with your personal brand and values? → How do you live sustainability yourself? → What specifically excites you about this role or company? 🧠 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 If you’re in marketing, product, comms or community, you need to become a pro at behavioural psychology Because sustainability isn’t just about “raising awareness” & selling stuff It’s about changing behaviour And that's really, really hard Start with: 📚 Nudge, Atomic Habits, Hooked 🎧 Nudge, The Behavioral Design Podcast, Choiceology, Hidden Brain 🧑💼 Connect with these recruiters → Mission Driven Talent → Rebel Recruiters → Above & Beyond - Climate Tech Recruitment → SR2 | Socially Responsible Recruitment | Certified B Corporation™ → Big Future 💻 Check out these job boards → Escape the City → jobsthatmatter → Tech Jobs for Good And here's a v helpful Notion page with many more resources curated by Nicole Kelner - https://lnkd.in/eEm5HuYJ 🚨 And finally… remember this: The climate crisis is an emergency There’s no such thing as “not qualified” - because we need to reinvent every single part of our economy and society Whatever your skillset - product, ops, finance, sales, data, HR, tech - it can be put to good use, because it needs to be all hands on deck 💡 PS Remember, you may not need to move company - perhaps you can have the biggest climate impact exactly where you are... ♻️ If you found this useful, give it a share. And pop any other helpful resources in the comments, including if you're hiring -------------------------------------- Follow Tessa Clarke 💚 for more straight talking on scaling startups & sustainability 🖐️ Wish your company redistributed its surplus food to local communities?  Find out how with Olio • Share More, Waste Less

My career advice for young professionals and fresh graduates interested in the sustainability industry. After two decades in sustainability, here's what I wish someone had told me when I started. 1. Build your career at the intersection of sustainability and another field. Want to stand out? Don't just be a "sustainability person." Be the finance person who understands carbon markets. The supply chain person who knows circular economy principles. The marketing strategist who can avoid greenwashing. 2. Your degree alone won't cut it. The most successful sustainability professionals I know are always learning. You will face new frameworks, new guidelines, new regulations, and new technologies, very frequently in your career. This means you need to continously learn new things and keep updated on the latest happenings in the sustainability industry. 3. Focus on implementation, not theory. Don't focus on coming up with the perfect strategy or initiative. Start small, fail fast, gather feedback, and adjust quickly. You need to show results to build credibility and trust with internal and external stakeholders. 4. Master the art of measuring impact. In a world drowning in ESG claims and sustainability reports, those who can rigorously measure and prove impact will rise to the top. Learn impact measurement, carbon accounting, and life cycle assessments. 5. Build a personal brand around communicating sustainability solutions and stories. Don't just solve environmental problems. Share your success stories. Document your solutions. Create content about insights, innovations and breakthroughs. The sustainability space needs more sharing of best practices. What's your career advice? Share them in the comments below.

The energy transition is the largest job creator of our time. Will those jobs drive development, or deepen divides? Every major energy shift reshapes not only how societies are powered, but who gets to work, learn, and build wealth. Clean energy already employs over 76 million people worldwide. EV manufacturing alone added nearly 800,000 jobs in 2025. But scale does not guarantee fairness. Without deliberate policy, the transition risks concentrating value in a few markets, while others remain locked into extraction and low-value assembly instead of capturing innovation and industrial growth. So how can this become a real development accelerator for the Global South? ⚙️ Turn clean energy opportunities into national innovation ecosystems Jobs do not come from talent alone, but from systems. Moving from fossil fuel to green-based economies requires a full ecosystem: industrial strategy for building domestic value chains, skills systems for aligning workforce capabilities, and investment frameworks for mobilizing and de-risking capital. When policy, finance, and human capital are aligned, clean energy deployment translates into local value 👩🎓Leverage the convergence of energy, digital data, and AI to unlock new labour markets The next wave of energy jobs will not only be in infrastructure, but in intelligence. For a global youth population of 1.8 billion, this represents a transformative opportunity :the integration of digital technologies, data systems, and AI into energy systems — from smart grids to predictive maintenance and energy planning — is creating entirely new categories of high-skilled jobs. 🌍 Make the Global South a source of innovation, not only deployment When countries co-develop technologies, skills, and value chains, they capture far more value than by importing solutions alone. The energy transition will create millions of jobs. Whether it also creates resilient industries, inclusive livelihoods, and fair pathways for today's workforce will depend on the choices governments, investors, and institutions make now. This week in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I am meeting partners, universities, and young people — in a country where 15,000 coal workers stand at the frontier of transition, where sites like, Zenica, Gračanica and Kreka are being repurposed from coal to solar, and where a new generation is ready to build the country's next economy. Green jobs are how we make that possible. This is the conversation we need to have everywhere. #JustEnergyTransition #GreenJobs #EnergyForDevelopment Renaud Meyer Alexander De Croo Dr. Abdallah Dardari