Environmental jobs: What you need to know

Ongoing talks on a new global framework for climate change adaptation and mitigation draw attention to how consequential work in the environmental sector is to the world’s future. A whole range of talents and skills are needed, but a solid background in the sciences and adept policy maneuvering are indispensable. The United Nations Environment Program and others have pointed out that continuing efforts around the world to reduce the adverse impact of climate change have already generated millions of new green jobs in various sectors and economies. The potential to create many more in both developed and developing countries is enormous as governments, businesses and households find alternative and sustainable means to create, harness and utilize finite energy resources. Multilaterals such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have taken up the green cause, pledging billions in investment in clean technology in the coming years. Even private capital have been flowing into the environmental sector steadily and may be further encouraged with infrastructure and policy support. And as green investments grow, so will green jobs. “Basically, we need all hands on deck. We need every single expertise you could think of,” remarked David Turnbull, executive director of the Climate Action Network, a global alliance of more than 450 nongovernmental organizations that endeavor to curb the impacts of climate change. Turnbull enumerated the kinds of people environmental organizations look for: policy experts to translate needs into actual policy tools; governance experts to ensure policy approaches are effective, fair and equitable; technology experts to identify the right technology needed for adaptation; and trade or international law experts to make certain that frameworks put forward will not be challenged at the World Trade Organization. “It’s across the board,” he said. Jeffrey McNeely, chief scientist of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, agreed that a diversity of expertise is crucial to advancing environmental causes. IUCN is the world’s oldest and biggest international environmental network, with more than 1,000 governmental and NGO members. It makes use of a good balance of grounding on the hard and social sciences. People come in with a background in biology, forestry, anthropology, economics, public policy and law, to name a few. “Science by itself is not going to provide all the answers,” McNeely said. “What it provides is information on the implications of policy options.” He continued: “The scientists provide the facts and figures and the implications of policy options. But then policy expertise needs to come in and assess which of these policies is most relevant to the needs of situations.” McNeely candidly admitted that scientists do not necessarily make the best negotiators, and this is where lawyers come in. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think lawyers are often the best negotiators because that’s their training,” he said. “We try to use science and law, or science and policy as part of the same package. That may require a team approach.” Established in 1970, Bonn-based IUCN Environmental Law Center is home to highly skilled legal and information specialists. It forms part of a network of expertise in the field engendered by the IUCN Environmental Law Program. But being armed with a diploma in any of these fields of expertise will not be enough to land a job in an international environmental organization. “What’s actually more important than your educational background is your practical experience,” McNeely stressed. “Often to work in an international organization, you have to get national experience first from another country because every country is different, so you need a broader spread of practical, on-the-ground experience to be able to help an international organization like IUCN,” he added. McNeely cited his stints in the United States, Thailand, Nepal and Indonesia as example of a track record that can open doors in global institutions. A boom in clean tech jobs? In September 2008, UNEP published “Green Jobs: Towards Decent work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World,” a landmark study showing how significant the effects of the emerging global green economy is to job generation. Some key sectors will have tremendous impact on the environment, economy and employment — energy supply (in particular, renewable energy), buildings and construction, transportation, basic industries, agriculture and forestry. The study found that 2.3 million people have landed employment in recent years in the renewable energy sector alone. Jobs in alternative energies, such as wind and solar, may rise to 2.1 million and 6.3 million power by 2030. UNEP stressed that renewable energy generates more jobs than fossil fuels. Projected investments of $630 billion by 2030 would translate into at least 20 million additional jobs in the sector. In the agriculture sector, 12 million could be employed in biomass-for-energy and related industries. Meanwhile, investment in creating energy-efficient buildings could generate an additional 2 million to 3.5 million green jobs in Europe and the United States alone, with the potential much higher in developing countries. Clean technology industries are also employing staggering numbers of people in the largest developing economies. Recycling and waste management activities already provide jobs for an estimated 10 million people in China and 500,000 in Brazil. UNEP expects this sector to grow rapidly in many countries as commodity prices continue to escalate. UNEP valued the global market for environmental products and services at $1.37 trillion, an amount the agency expects will double to $2.740 trillion by 2020. Half of this market is focused on energy efficiency, while the other half is for sustainable transport, water supply, sanitation and waste management. Development banks such as ADB are also scaling up its green program. ADB has committed $2 billion annually to clean energy initiatives starting in 2013. Over a fourth of the bank’s loan portfolio, or 27 percent, in 2008 had clean energy components. Even venture capital is finding clean technologies attractive, said UNEP. It is already the third largest sector for venture capital in the United States, behind information and biotechnology. In China, investment in green causes has more than doubled in recent years, to 19 percent of total investment. Data from Dow Jones VentureSource showed that investments by venture capitalists in clean technology jumped to a record $3 billion worldwide in 2008, with the United States largely leading the boom, according to BusinessGreen.com. Several countries are investing heavily in clean technology. In February 2009, for instance, U.S. President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a $787 billion stimulus package that includes nearly $85 billion in direct spending and tax incentives in energy- and transport-related programs. “Although many cleantech sectors are expected to benefit, it is uncertain how quickly the stimulus will make meaningful impacts,” PricewaterhouseCoopers has noted in its report Cleantech Nation. “Much of the package targets existing technologies, and this may help some early-stage companies. More significant assistance for later-stage companies could stem from Department of Energy grants and loan guarantees, likely focusing on smart grid, renewables and energy efficiency.” Obama has vowed to invest $15 billion annually in renewable energy over the next decade, to create 5 million green jobs. Jobs in clean energy are also improving in quality. The Pew Charitable Trusts, in a report released in June, said the emerging clean energy economy in the United States has created well-paying jobs in every state for people of all skill levels and educational backgrounds, including engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants and teachers whose annual incomes range from $21,000 to $111,000. At the same time, the industry has managed to grow jobs at a national rate of 9.1 percent between 1998 and 2007, a rate nearly two and a half times faster than the growth of overall jobs during the same period. “The clean energy economy is poised for explosive growth,” said Lori Grange, interim deputy director of the Pew Center, in a statement. “There is a potential competitive advantage for federal and state policy leaders who act now to spur jobs, businesses and investments in the clean energy sector.” Wanted: Passion and expertise Clearly, jobs in the environmental sector are aplenty. There is not a more exciting, or crucial, time to take up the green cause. People with strong expertise, solid experience and unwavering commitment are very much wanted. Turnbull felt preparing for a job in development is no different from preparing for a job in any other field. Aspiring development professionals, he said, should be backed by a good education, develop expertise, cultivate networks, and obtain as much relevant experience as possible. But an indispensable quality is one on an intangible level. “Certainly needed is a real passion for the work and a real understanding of how important it is,” Turnbull said, noting that scientific predictions on the effects of climate change on the world and the global population are becoming increasingly bleak. Essentially, environmental experts working in this growing field should take development seriously, very seriously even. They should be unequivocal about their motivations, and believe without a doubt that their work matters. “When you’re doing this work,” he said, “if you’re not passionate about it, if you’re not almost optimistic about the chance for success, it can be pretty tough.” Read more environment career advice: - Short Courses Spotlight Global Warming-Development Connection Read more career advice articles.