Green skills revolution: are we ready?

Those who fully grasp the severity of the climate crisis understand that the next few decades will be crucial for climate mitigation and adaptation. While such individuals may not be the majority, many hold positions of authority and are bound to acknowledge this reality as signatories to various global climate protocols, most notably the Paris Agreement. This is a unique global crisis, unlike any other, dividing the world into two groups: the perpetrators of climate change and its victims. No country exists entirely within one group; all must choose a side, as each group carries mandatory obligations that its members must fulfil to remain part of the global community.

As signatories of the Paris Agreement, all countries are obligated to adhere to its provisions. These include quantified targets, such as halving GHG emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Whether these targets are deemed ambitious or conservative, they must ultimately be met in full. Mere rhetoric will not suffice; all nations must demonstrate tangible progress at the annual COPs.

Failure to take serious steps towards meeting these targets may result in penalties, such as the withdrawal of support for both mitigation and adaptation efforts. While this may not be immediate, the increasing intensity and frequency of climate disasters, along with other devastating impacts like food and water crises, will necessitate such measures against non-compliant nations. This enforcement is crucial to ensure the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Both Global North and South nations must transition their fossil fuel-dependent economies to green economies. This necessitates either retraining their existing workforce or hiring climate professionals across various sectors. While the phasing of this transition will vary, immediate action is crucial. The Global North has been undertaking this shift for the past decade, yet progress has been insufficient. Conversely, most Global South countries, with the exception of a few rapidly developing nations, are primarily in the planning stages for hiring climate professionals to adapt to the new climate reality.

A recent report reveals a significant disparity between the global demand and supply of green talent. Between 2023 and 2024, demand for green skills surged twice as fast as the available workforce, with an 11.6% increase in demand compared to a 5.6% increase in supply. This trend is alarming, as projections suggest that by 2030 - halfway to the deadline for achieving nationally determined climate goals - one in five jobs will lack suitably qualified green professionals. Furthermore, by 2050, this gap is expected to widen dramatically, affecting half of all jobs.

Individuals possessing green skills or relevant job titles enjoy a substantial advantage in the job market. Their hiring rate is 54.6% higher than the average across all sectors. This advantage is even more pronounced in certain countries, such as the US (80.3% higher) and Ireland (79.8% higher). Globally, the fastest-growing green skill is Sustainable Procurement. In 2024, 15% more individuals added this skill to their LinkedIn profiles compared to the previous year, highlighting its increasing importance in the green economy.

In stark contrast to the global landscape, Pakistan presents a disappointing picture regarding the recognition of green skills and climate action competencies. Beyond a handful of leading universities, education in these areas falls significantly short of the qualifications required for sustainable procurement. The primary focus of these institutions remains on environmental management, primarily to cater to the health, safety and environmental sector. However, the global trajectory is shifting towards Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) systems, with a focus on climate-smart practices across production and distribution. Consequently, most of our green skills are rooted in outdated environmental management syllabi, lacking comprehensive coverage of sustainability and climate change. To date, no private or public university offers a fully-fledged degree programme that comprehensively addresses all facets of climate change.

It is widely acknowledged that climate change is an interdisciplinary subject that encompasses numerous areas of natural, physical, managerial and social sciences. For instance, a climate scientist is not expected to possess in-depth knowledge of transition economics or carbon trading, as these fall under management sciences. Similarly, climate policy belongs to the realm of public administration, and an energy transition expert may not be qualified to contribute significantly to policy-related tasks.

This presents a dilemma. We must either cultivate a vast pool of experts specialising in various subfields of climate change or develop higher education programmes that integrate key subjects across disciplines. This ensures that even if individuals don't become masters of every field, they possess a foundational understanding of all relevant subjects to effectively contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation goals.

The challenges do not end here. We already have a significant workforce employed in both the public and private sectors. This workforce primarily consists of individuals over 30 years old, who may not possess the same level of agility to readily adapt to the demands of new learning. Special efforts will be necessary to assist them in aligning with the requirements of green jobs. This necessitates a two-pronged government approach:

Cultivating a climate-ready workforce: This involves fostering a climate workforce within the higher education sector.

Upskilling the existing workforce: This requires the development and implementation of specialised training programmes for currently employed individuals. These programmes must be meticulously designed and executed, unlike the haphazard efforts currently undertaken by some organisations.

To ensure the consistent delivery of climate training, a permanent framework should be established at both federal and provincial levels. Priority should be given to training individuals who are still a considerable distance from retirement, followed by training for senior-level employees in a subsequent phase. It is not essential for these initiatives to be located on-site or solely managed by the government. This task could be outsourced to various organisations already working to cultivate climate action skills. Alternatively, a robust virtual setup might also be feasible, considering the limited resources and the relatively low priority currently assigned to this issue.