The world is beginning to focus on the future and the impact of climate change globally so if you care about natural environment and are passionate about preserving or restoring the quality of nature, you should consider a career in sustainability.
According to the International Labour Organization, there may be over 8 million green jobs for young people by 2030. These include jobs in clean and renewable energy, construction, sustainable agriculture, recycling, and waste management.
Considering the 2023 LinkedIn report that shows only 1 in 8 young people have green-related skills, how can you set yourself up to be a sought-after professional in your field as a young person?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), green jobs include positions in agriculture, manufacturing, research and development, administration, and service roles that are centered on preserving or restoring environmental quality.
Pursue training and education in green fields.
You don’t have to pursue another degree if you have studied already, but can find a way to incorporate green aspects into your career. What this means is that if you are a lawyer, you can focus on Environmental Law, green data analyst and many more. All you have to do know is to get certifications in line with climate change and the environment: here are some I recommend
- Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change course taught by The University of ChicagoSource- Class Central
This is a Free Online Course taught in English with subtitles in other languages and a paid certificate available after the course. Duration is 12 weeks long
- Climate Change, Sustainability, and Global Public Health- Taught by University of MichiganSource- Class Central
This is another free online course taught in English and a paid certificate is available after completion. The duration for this course is 4 weeks.
- Planetary Health for Nurses- Yale University
This is a free 9 weeks long class taught in English with a certificate available after completing.Source- Class Central
There are so many courses like these that you can take to be considered for a role in sustainability. One of the pros of pursuing a career in sustainability is that most of the jobs advertised are new in the labor market and thus, your skill is enough to land you a great job.
Compensation
The compensation for jobs in this sector is not bad, especially because many companies are now focusing on ESG, there’s a lot of money in the sector. Some salaries are hourly while others are a flare rate. I have seen jobs of $58 per hour working in Environmental sustainability and some as little as $10/hr depending on the job type and company or organization hiring.
Other Opportunities:
There are various opportunities outside jobs that are created and advertised on job boards. You could look into starting a nonprofit organization focusing on restoring natural habitats and you can find lots of people willing to volunteer. There’s also the Tech aspect of this just like @cleanplanet is doing which is quite commendable. I have personally participated in the cleaning movement by this community and it’s very impressive how much change this can potentially lead to.
Get hand-on experience, network with professionals already working in this line and learn. If starting as an intern will gain you footing in your desired field, then by all means, please do so.
By the way, there are hundreds of grant funding available for sustainability projects globally. If you really care so much about the environment and want to earn a living by doing what you love, then searching for green jobs or creating one might be a fulfilling step you should take.
Thanks for reading
All content is mine except otherwise stated