Emerging green industries and green jobs trends

Perspectives for job creation
 

While the green economy is evolving, its potential occupational implications cover a wide range of careers.

According to the Blue Green Alliance and O*NET Resource Center recent research to investigate the impact of the green economy activities and technologies on occupational requirements have identified new and emerging green economic sectors, increased demand for careers, as well as new and emerging jobs.

The Blue Green Alliance is a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy. Launched by the Sierra Club and United Steelworkers in 2006, the Blue Green Alliance includes the Communications Workers of America, Natural Resources Defense Council, Service Employees International Union, Laborers' International Union of North America, Utility Workers Union of America and the American Federation of Teachers.

O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, is being developed under the sponsorship of the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration. O*NET provides comprehensive occupational descriptions and data for use by job seekers, workforce development offices, human resources professionals, students, researchers, and others. The information is available to the public at no cost and is continually updated.

The two main emerging green industries, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, encompass several sectors each that are related.

Emerging green industries:

1. Renewable Energy

• Generation: developing and using non-fossil energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. Also includes green technological changes to non-renewable sources of energy, such as petroleum, coal, gas, and nuclear.
• Energy Trading: financial services of trading energy as an economic commodity and carbon trading projects.
• Storage: capturing and storing energy and/or carbon emissions.

 2. Energy Efficiency

• Increasing energy efficiency, capacity, reliability, and security.
• Smart Grid infrastructure, construction, management and optimization. Includes the current and future electric grid, energy generation sources, distribution centers, allocation and wiring.

Service interruptions cost the American economy $100 billion each year.
Per the GridWise® Alliance report, 280,000 new U.S. jobs will be created from smart grid deployment (full report: The U.S. Smart Grid jobs report - job creation by KEMA).

3. Transportation

• Increasing efficiency and/or reducing environmental impact of various modes of transportation including passenger transit, freight rail, and trucks.

4. Green Building and Construction

• Construction of new green buildings, retrofitting residential and commercial buildings, and installing other green construction technology.

5. Environmental Protection

• Environmental remediation, water conservation, climate change adaptation, and ensuring or enhancing air and water quality.
• Agriculture and forestry, efficient land management and farming. Also controlling GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in these sectors.
• Legislation for conservation and pollution prevention, regulation enforcement, and policy analysis and advocacy.

6. Manufacturing

• Industrial manufacturing of green technology, energy efficient manufacturing processes, environmentally preferred purchasing, and waste management.

7. Recycling, Regeneration and Waste Reduction

• Solid waste and wastewater management, treatment, and reduction.
• Processing/managing recyclable materials.

Note that the green economy will also generate indirectly jobs in research, design, and consulting services, finance, and other related business services. New and enhanced legislation in many industries will be essential and will also require knowledgeable professionals.

The success of any green sector relies on the availability of highly skilled and qualified workforce

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