Introduction to green jobs
Contents:
- Introduction – Green Transformation
- Green economy and career opportunities in it
- Categorization of occupations in terms of impacts on ecology and sustainability
- Examples of green job descriptions
The material contains selected information that counselors can use when implementing green career counseling for input, framing the topic, or in individual steps of activities implemented in green career counseling. The information was compiled from selected sources available in 2025.
However, this information needs to be continuously verified and updated.
You can find more resources also on our Green Guidance Padlet.
- Introduction – Green Transformation
Objective – to create a context for thinking and discussing the impact of ecological changes on people’s work areas (in Europe) and to present the essence of the green transformation
According to available statistics, the green transformation will have a significant impact on the EU labour market, with up to 35-40% of all jobs in the EU being affected by these changes by 2030. This impact will vary by sector: some jobs will disappear, especially in fossil fuel-dependent sectors, while new positions will be created in the areas of renewable energies, energy efficiency and the circular economy.
It is estimated that the implementation of the European Green Deal could create up to 1 million new jobs in the renewable energy and other environmental sectors. On the other hand, up to 1.5 million jobs could be lost in traditional energy-intensive sectors such as coal mining or cement production. But this will not necessarily be a radical transformation of all jobs.
According to some studies (Workforce sustainability: recent policy concerns and their implications for careers thinking, Chris Warhurst, NICEC 2024), up to 40% of jobs have some connection to the green transformation. Overall, however, only 4% of jobs can be considered new occupations, 10% of occupations show increased demand due to the green transition, and 26% are existing occupations requiring the acquisition of new knowledge or skills related to the green transition.
The Green Transition will bring significant changes to the labour market in Europe, which will mainly affect the coal industry and other high-emission sectors. However, the total number of jobs to be created by this transformation is not yet precisely known. Future developments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and innovation are expected to create new opportunities, but will also require significant retraining of workers from traditional sectors.
Overall, the green transition is expected to have a positive impact on net employment, especially if reskilling and technological transitions are key factors in this process. At the same time, the new jobs created are expected to require new skills, particularly in technical and digital areas ( CEDEFOP ) ( Economy and Finance ).
However, the prerequisite for achieving carbon neutrality is a drastic reduction in emissions not only in the economy, but in every area of human activity. The goals of the Paris Agreement assume a decrease in the average carbon footprint of a citizen of the EU from today’s approximately 8 tons (depending on the country) to 2 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. It is illusory to rely on green growth, or rather the possibility of sufficient and rapid separation (“decoupling”) of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions, for example by introducing new technological processes and developing specialized technical skills. At the current rate of economic decarbonization achieved through the absolute decoupling of economic growth from emissions, high-income countries would need 220 years to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, while producing 27 times their fair share of greenhouse gases (source: Vogel, J., & Hickel, J. (2023). Is green growth happening? An empirical analysis of achieved versus Paris-compliant CO2–GDP decoupling in high-income countries.The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(9), e759–e769. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00174-2). Mastering the green transformation therefore requires a huge transformation of the current economic model, as well as significant changes in the lifestyle of every citizen.
- Green economy and career opportunities in it
Goal – introducing career opportunities in areas related to sustainable development, renewable energy sources and eco-innovations.
Opportunities within the green economy can be linked to areas such as:
- Renewable energy sources (wind farms, solar energy)
- Sustainable transport (electric cars, cycling)
- Circular economy (recycling, waste reduction)
- Sustainable agriculture (organic products, urban gardens)
- Ecological construction (sustainable materials, green buildings)
Renewable energy sources
- Hydropower : Working on small hydroelectric power plants, ecological river regulation, or developing innovative technologies to reduce negative environmental impacts.
- Geothermal energy : Development of infrastructure to harness heat from the Earth for heating and electricity generation.
- Biomass and biofuels : Using biological waste to produce energy or researching alternative biofuels to reduce fossil fuels.
- Energy storage : Research and development of batteries and other technologies for efficient storage of energy from renewable sources.
Sustainable transport
- Public transport on renewable energy : Development of electric buses, solar-powered trains and other sustainable public transport solutions.
- Hydrogen technologies : Research and development of hydrogen propulsion for cars, ships and aircraft.
- Shared mobility : Platforms for sharing cars or electric bikes and scooters that reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
- Smart cities : Systems to improve traffic flows and reduce emission congestion in cities using sensors and artificial intelligence.
Circular economy
- Upcycling : The transformation of old products and materials into new and more valuable things, for example from fashion industry waste or electronics.
- Eco-design : The development of products that are designed from the start to be easily recycled or reused.
- Product rental and sharing : Business models focused on renting products instead of one-time ownership (e.g., renting electronics, clothing, tools).
- Biodegradable materials : Research and production of materials that naturally decompose in nature without leaving a trace (packaging, plastic alternatives).
Sustainable agriculture
- Agroforestry : A combination of agriculture and forestry where trees and plants are grown on the same land for sustainable profits.
- Permaculture : Designing self-sustaining ecosystems that minimize external inputs and maximize biodiversity.
- Vertical farms : Farms in tall buildings in cities that save space and water and produce food locally.
- Hydroponics and aquaponics : Growing plants without soil in a controlled environment or combined with fish farming for a closed and sustainable cycle.
Ecological construction
- Green roofs and facades : Buildings that have plants on their roofs and facades, which reduces urban heat islands and improves air quality.
- Passive Houses : Very low energy buildings that are designed to make maximum use of sun, wind and insulation.
- Natural building materials : Using materials like hemp, clay, or straw that are renewable and have a low carbon footprint.
- Demolition with Recycling : Construction projects that aim to minimize demolition waste by reusing materials from existing structures.
- Categorization of occupations in terms of impacts on ecology and sustainability
Objective – to become familiar with the definition of green professions, categorize professions into green (ecological), yellow (greening), white (neutral), and brown (harmful)
Green (ecological) professions are all professions that aim to protect the Earth and its well-being, to protect human development, but without negatively affecting the health of the environment. The skills applied in them contribute to measuring, preventing, managing, correcting negative impacts and damage to the environment. Therefore, they are directly related to the environment and a sustainable economy.
In short, a green profession is a job that directly contributes to the management, protection and restoration of our natural world. Definition of green professions according to the International Labour Organization (ILO): Jobs are green when they help reduce negative environmental impacts and ultimately lead to environmentally, economically and socially sustainable businesses and economies.
More specifically, green professions are decent jobs that:
- reduce energy and raw material consumption,
- limit greenhouse gas emissions,
- minimize waste and pollution,
- protect and restore ecosystems.
Greening- yellow professions: Their primary purpose is not to protect the environment, but they integrate new “skill sets” to make a significant and measurable business gesture related to environmental protection, moving towards sustainability.
Sustainability means that it is possible to meet not only the needs of the present, but also the needs of future generations. Sustainable professions include areas of activity that aim to achieve or create something that will last into the future. Anyone who thinks that this is only possible in very special professions or companies where employees actively contribute to the protection of the environment and nature is mistaken. Sustainable professions rather refer to those that have a positive impact on the environment not only directly, but also indirectly.
According to the study, sustainable professions can be found wherever companies and their employees are striving for change in terms of resource- and climate-friendly ways of doing business. For example, jobs in the production of products, technologies and services are also considered sustainable if they focus on preventing environmental damage and protecting natural resources. Sustainability is therefore in principle possible in all areas, whether it is technology, textile production, the food sector, the hotel industry or even communication. This is because there is now a “green gap” in the professional world that offers workers a good opportunity to combine their own aspirations, interests and skills. For example, a bricklayer can also work sustainably if he takes care of the correct thermal insulation in his work so that he does not have to heat the apartment unnecessarily
Examples: farmer in organic production, logger in organic forestry, heat pump installer, bricklayer in bioclimatic construction
Neutral – white – these are professions that are neither environmentally friendly nor harmful – they have a neutral impact
Examples: accountant at a bank
Harmful – brown – These are occupations that have a harmful impact on the environment
Examples: jobs in production that do not take into account environmental impacts (e.g. chemical industry)
- Examples of green job descriptions that can be used in the activity
Goal – to better understand specific green job opportunities
Example of the job description of an energy consultant :
Guide consumers in the process of saving energy. The goal is twofold: to help consumers reduce their electricity bills while promoting the use of renewable energy. It can suggest various energy solutions and devices that consume less energy.
Example of a solar panel installer job description
Performs installation, repair and maintenance of photovoltaic panels (electricity production) or solar thermal collectors (hot water and heating). Before working on the installation site, he conducts a survey, advises the customer and informs him about the estimated production depending on the amount of sunlight, the time and cost of installation work, the stages and progress of the installation, etc.
Example of the job description of an environmental education officer
Supports, leads and activates school and extracurricular groups, as well as adults, with the aim of raising awareness about nature and environmental protection. Creates and implements educational activities based on environmental knowledge.
Example of the job description of a person responsible for the heritage of a natural area
It creates, implements and manages all measures for the protection and enhancement of this heritage. It is responsible for projects implemented in its location: development works, tourism development and others.
Example of a job description for a Renewable Energy Engineer
It specializes in energy transition and new energies. It works on projects related to biomass, wind, hydro, solar and geothermal energy. It commissions facilities, modernizes them and contributes to the improvement of existing techniques or the discovery of new energy sources.
Example of the job description of a waste separation ambassador – informs residents and promotes separate waste collection among them. She is a basic link between users and the waste collection service. Her role is to encourage residents to properly separate waste (recyclables, glass, paper, bulky waste, batteries and ink) as part of environmental and sustainable development policies.