Green is Growing

By Melinda Toussaint

“It’s a tough economy right now.” Everywhere you look people are concerned because money doesn’t grow on trees. But with the advancements of greener technologies you can be confident that green employment opportunities will open up.

According to an article titled, “Green Jobs: Toward Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-carbon World” produced by United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) there are many areas in which green practices are increasing opportunities/products and therefore jobs and expenses. These include:

1.Energy Supply:

• - Integrated gasification/carbon sequestration
• - Co-generation (combined heat and power)
• - Renewables (wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, small-scale hydro); fuel cells

2. Transportation

• -More fuel-efficient vehicles
• -Hybrid-electric, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles
• - Car Sharing
• - Public Transit
• - Non-motorized transport and changes in land use policies/patterns

3. Manufacturing:

• -Pollution control
• -Energy and materials efficiency
• -Clean production techniques (toxics avoidance)

4. Buildings:

• -Lighting, energy-efficient appliances/office equipment
• -Solar heating/cooling, solar panels
• -Retrofitting
• -Green buildings (energy-efficient windows, insulation, building materials)
• -Passive-solar houses, zero-emissions buildings

5. Materials Management

• -Recycling
• -Extended producer responsibility/product take-back
• -De-materialization
• -Durability and repair ability of products

6. Retail:

• -Promotion of efficient products/eco-labels
• -Store locations closer to residential areas
• -Minimization of shipping distances
• -New service economy (selling services, not products)

7. Agriculture:

• -Soil conservation
• -Water efficiency
• -Organic growing materials
• -Reducing farm-to-market distance

8. Forestry:

• -Reforestation projects
• -Agro forestry
• -Sustainable forestry management and certification schemes
• -Halting deforestation

This means that we have potential growing industries providing us with employment beyond the economy presently. We are working in a fear of loss world but it can all change with job security presented in these growing green fields. In order to keep up with the world’s growing interests all job industries need to stay ahead of the green game to survive, thus more jobs.

These are only a few areas increasing employment. Green jobs are spanning many other aspects such as research and development and professional fields like engineering and architecture. Opportunities are also rising in everything from blue-collar areas (plumbing and electrical wiring) to government offices (standard setting, rule making, permitting, monitoring/enforcement, and/or support programs) to science and academia, civil society organizations (advocacy group, community organizations).

This article only proves that possibilities are out there and plans for a greener future are already set in motion. All you have to do is take action yourself by strongly pursuing a career in one of these areas or mold another career path to greener ways. Your future and career is what you make it. Help the world and you by making it green.

You can download the entire UNEP article here.