Massive job growth and opportunities for “greenpreneurs” as demands for innovative solutions grow
More than 100 people attended the virtual event co-hosted by the Diversity Institute, Future Skills Centre (external link) (FSC) and Magnet (external link) , Jobs in the Net-Zero Economy on March 10, 2023, where experts shared their insider knowledge about the future of green jobs, revealing its growth and tips on how to thrive in it. The federal government and businesses across all sectors are working toward an economy that either emits no greenhouse gasses or offsets its emissions.
As part of the first Toronto Metropolitan University Climate Week organized by the Leadership Lab (external link) , Tricia Williams, director of research, evaluation and knowledge mobilization at the Future Skills Centre (external link) (FSC), led the session. Diversity Institute founder and academic director Wendy Cukier presented highlights of DI and FSC research, and panelists shared their insights on opportunities for emerging jobs.
The panel included Genevieve Peters, director of research at the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (external link) ; Nidhi Khanna, the vice-president of Skills for Change (external link) ; Cori Andersen, the director of regional strategies at the office of Natural Resources Canada (external link) ; Holly Dunne, an account executive at Manifest Climate (external link) ; and Nisreen Rawdah, senior manager of program engagement at Magnet.
The research, Jobs and Skills in the Transition to a Net-Zero Economy, examined three scenarios based on different approaches: a lower-carbon-intensity pathway with high rates of fuel switching in favour of end-use electrification; a higher-carbon-intensity pathway that relies less on fuel switching and more on carbon capture or direct air capture technologies; and a middle ground that contains elements of both and a greater reliance on carbon offsets.
Regardless of the pathway taken, Cukier said, “the result was there were going to be more jobs.” And many of them are jobs we don't even know about today, she added.
Cukier said that while the focus has tended to be on green tech jobs, the transition to net zero will require a range of skills not just to develop new technologies, but also to have wider impact. For example, it could be to help organizations transform their operations, change consumer behaviour, and develop and enforce new policies and processes. She noted there will be opportunities across disciplines, pointing to parallels with digitization. She added that there are now more jobs outside of the information communications technology sector than within it as every sector—retail, banking, manufacturing, education, health—embraces technology.
Nidhi Khanna, the vice-president of Skills for Change emphasizes the massive job growth for "greenpreneurs" at the virtual event co-hosted by the Diversity Institute, Future Skills Centre (FSC) and Magnet called Jobs in the Net-Zero Economy on March 10, 2023.
The same will happen with the transition to net zero, Cukier said. She added that because most private sector jobs in Canada are with small and medium-sized enterprises, there will also be opportunities to start and grow new businesses. ‘Greenpreneurs’ are growing across sectors, and women are more likely to pursue enterprises with sustainability goals, as are Indigenous Peoples, she noted.
Khanna echoed the sentiment. As people deal with the complexity of climate anxiety there will be more focus on how to support people, too, Khanna said, adding that she has hired youth and mental health workers for her program.
“No matter what you are thinking about in your future, there's going to be a connection to sustainability,” Khanna said.
Peters highlighted that with baby boomers retiring, there are more opportunities for young workers. On the other hand, it puts a lot more responsibility on the shoulders of those young workers, Peters said.
As new roles are established, it's not just technical skills that are required to succeed in the environmental sector, she added: “It's leadership skills.”
Dunne attributes her quick career growth within the company to her wide range of skills and ability to learn quickly. As DI research has shown, across sectors, including the cleantech sector, critical thinking, complex problem solving and communications skills are key.
“We don't have the kind of time that we used to have to wait...We need this expertise to scale, and we need to scale now.”
The skills and environmental awareness young people have are so valuable in workplaces, Dunne said. “We don't have the kind of time that we used to have to wait until you have it ‘under your belt,’ or wait until you’ve ‘paid your dues.’
“I think that's awesome for young people because there is no longer this kind of bureaucratic climbing of the ladder,” she said. “We need this expertise to scale, and we need to scale now.”
Working toward a net-zero economy has been made a priority by the federal government, which recently committed billions of the 2023 budget (external link) to building a clean economy. Andersen highlighted the government's sustainable jobs plan (external link) and how it aims to create jobs across the country.
“We’re really focused on transforming traditional industries to decarbonize,” Andersen said. It isn’t about shutting down sectors; it’s about the technologies and processes that “we can apply to reduce emissions from existing sectors and also bring new sources of energy online,” she said.
Rawdah bridged the gap for attendees by showing them ways to find the kinds of jobs and opportunities panelists spoke about using Magnet, which aims to connect job seekers to opportunities based on goals and skills. Rawdah highlighted several programs, including the RBC Youth Employment Portal (external link) and Magnet’s work placement programs (external link) .
Watch the discussion on demand (external link) to hear more