Fighting climate change means doing more with less. It just so happens that the skills required to fight climate change also help improve efficiency and reduce costs. Employers are taking notice, and demand for labor with “green skills” is on the rise. LinkedIn recently published a report analyzing the job market for employees with green skills, which it defines as “those [skills] that directly combat the effects of climate change.” The report found that:
“Green talent are getting hired at a rate 52.7% higher than the overall workforce. For workers, green skills are among the clearest routes into in-demand roles; for employers, it is a clear signal of how much green talent is worth to them.”
What’s interesting is that this demand for green skills isn’t exclusive to sustainability roles. In fact, the majority of green talent hires actually go into roles without green titles:
“Nearly three in four green hires (73.9%) went into roles without traditionally Green Titles. Green skills are becoming core business skills, and employers should build and hire for them in every function, not only in sustainability teams.”
This trend reflects the growing integration of sustainability across companies. Sustainability skills are now embedded in the modern labor force. Employers value green skills and realize that sustainability silos aren’t ideal. By integrating green-skilled employees throughout their workforce, companies are building more sustainably minded teams. However, the supply of green-skilled workers lags behind the high demand. This is good news for job seekers with these skills, who gain a competitive advantage in the labor market. It’s bad news for companies that need to offer competitive compensation to secure green talent.
Our members can learn more about the business value of ESG here.
