What are green jobs?

The ONS defines green jobs – or sustainable jobs – as: ‘employment in an activity that contributes to protecting or restoring the environment, including those that mitigate or adapt to climate change’.  These jobs typically involve responsibilities aligned with business sustainability goals, such as:

• Designing more sustainable products or sourcing sustainable and/or local supply chains
• Developing green technologies, such as electric vehicles and solar panels
• Driving sustainable transformation by making business processes more environmentally friendly
• Conducting environmental and energy audits and setting sustainability targets based on the findings

Examples of green jobs include:

• Ecologist
• Sustainability consultant
• Sustainability supply chain manager
• Recycling engagement officer
• Solar technician
• Chief sustainability officer

The importance of green jobs

Green jobs play an important role in helping businesses reduce their carbon emissions and align with the UK government’s ‘net-zero’ target, which aims to decarbonise all sectors by 2025. 

As highlighted in our ESG strategy tips guide, climate change poses significant challenges to supply chains, including worsening weather conditions and geopolitical tensions that complicate the import of resources.

By updating supply chains to source resources locally and sustainably, businesses are able to address these challenges. As explored in our guide to net-zero, companies that adapt to environmental regulations through sustainable practices often see enhanced economic growth driven by innovation.

Following government regulations

The UK government is pushing businesses to improve the sustainability of their supply chains, as set out in their report, which states that businesses are now expected to disclose the environmental risks of their business and report the methods used to assess them.

The Green Jobs Taskforce report: who needs to transition to a green economy?

In 2020, the UK government launched the Green Jobs Taskforce, which provided information on:

• The skills needed to drive a green economy and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
• Ensuring green jobs are accessible and open to all
• Ways to support high-carbon workers transitioning to a new green economy

The Taskforce also identified key findings, including:

• Some sectors, particularly high-carbon industries, will experience greater impacts during the transition
• Which new green sectors are set to emerge in the pursuit of net-zero
• How the green transformation would impact different sectors

Businesses may therefore need to evaluate how these changes will affect their sector, workforce and resource use, ensuring they remain competitive and compliant during this shift.

Green jobs growth in the UK

Green jobs are on the rise in the UK. According to the ONS, ‘In 2023, there were an estimated 690,900 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in green jobs in the UK. This represents a 34.6% increase compared with 2015 (the first available figures), when there were an estimated 513,300 FTEs in green jobs.’

However, this growth may not be fast enough in industries like electricity and gas, transportation and storage, manufacturing, and agriculture, forestry and fishing. These industries accounted for 74.5% of residence-based UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 and 15% of all UK employees. By creating and recruiting for green jobs, these industries could leverage specialist skills to push towards sustainable transformation. 

Ideas for recruiting for green jobs

Businesses can adapt their recruitment practices to help meet sustainability and net-zero targets. Here are some strategies you could consider:

• Contracting a sustainability consultant to identify potential green roles that could be created within the business
• Contracting a renewable and sustainability recruitment specialist to headhunt candidates with relevant experience
• Taking advantage of green apprenticeships to train staff in specialist sustainability skills
• Defining the criteria, responsibilities, and expectations for green job roles
• Conducting sustainability-focused interviews and include targeted questions to evaluate candidates’ sustainability skills and experience

Adopting a skills-based approach can help businesses identify the most in-demand specialist skills required for green roles. Consider a mix of hard and soft skills when hiring for sustainability-focused jobs, including:

• Adaptability: in particular, a demonstrated ability to learn quickly, adapt to new technologies and excel in dynamic environments.
• Health and safety training: shows a candidate understands the importance of working in a safe environment, using protective clothing if necessary and has knowledge of safe work practices in the UK.
• Nature conservation training: a combination of academic and practical knowledge, including ecosystem biology, flood management, landscape and river restoration and habitat management. 
• Project management: experience managing environmental audits, managing environmental projects and preparing sustainability reports.
• Team building: including training and mentoring staff in sustainability skills and working with others on sustainability projects.
• Creativity: demonstrates a proactive attitude towards challenges and dexterity in applying cutting-edge scientific research and technology in sustainability decision-making.
• Communication skills: including crafting effective sustainability messaging for both internal and external audiences.
• Maths and science skills: strong technical knowledge in fields like ecology, solar technology and consultancy, preferably supported by relevant degrees or certifications.

Training for green jobs

Providing opportunities for green jobs training and apprenticeships can attract the next generation of talent. As highlighted in our guide to recruiting new talent, taking an authentic approach to environmental conservation can enhance your employer brand, making your business more appealing to candidates. Additionally, younger generations often prioritise learning, development and microlearning opportunities, making green training initiatives an exciting prospect for upskilling.

Green skills bootcamps

Green skills bootcamps offer employees a chance to upskill in sustainability-focused areas. Employees can learn a range of new skills through UK government-supported skills bootcamps including:

• Electric vehicle maintenance
• Energy and retrofit assessment
• Organisational sustainability skills
• Solar photovoltaic (PV) skills

Green apprenticeships

The UK government’s Education Hub and Green Jobs for Nature highlight several green apprenticeships available for candidates with diverse skill sets, competencies and educational backgrounds. These include:

• Countryside worker (level 2)
• Forest craftsperson (level 3)
• Low carbon heating technician (level 3)
• Sustainability business specialist (level 7)
• Corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioner (level 4)

By integrating green skills training and apprenticeships into your recruitment and development strategies, your business could contribute to sustainability goals while attracting and nurturing top talent.

As the global focus on sustainability intensifies, green jobs are becoming essential to achieving business and environmental goals. Beyond meeting sustainability targets and net-zero goals, investing in green jobs strengthens a company’s reputation as a responsible and innovative employer. It also positions businesses to attract top talent, foster innovation and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.