I will cover . . . • Overview of the Sector • What kind of opportunities are out there and in what kind of organisations • Getting started - some advice on identifying the rights direction for you • Further resources and next steps
What is a green collar job? "Typically, green collar describes a role that hopes to have a positive environmental and/or social impact. Many jobs are about lessening the environmental impact of construction and energy projects, such as, reducing the impact of a new car park. It doesn't just describe ecologists looking for newts in a pond, as it did a few years ago." Guardian February 12 2009
Worldwide, $150 billion was spent on clean energy technologies and projects in 2008
(New Energy Finance)
Recessionary impacts An Allen and York survey of 2,500 Environment professionals in summer 2009 found: • Almost a quarter of all respondents reported staff redundancies as their organisation’s main response to the current economic downturn • 21% reported a freeze on pay increases as the main response, and 17% said their organisation had stopped recruiting
Future Growth? Carbon Reduction Commitment – from April 2010 400,000 additional jobs in UK green industries by 2015?
How it breaks down • Corporate • Entrepreneurial • Not for Profit • Government
Salaries • Highest salaries – Consultancy/professional advisory (basic average salary £38.9) • Lowest – NGOs (basic average salary£29.8) (Allen and York Career and Salary survey)
Environmental Corporate Careers • Specific Functions within a business (compliance or Corporate Social Responsibility) • Generalist roles within a green industries (HR, management, finance, logistics) • Green Finance • Consultancy
Identifying environmental activity with a business • A company’s CSR report can be a good place to start researching their social and environmental performance, and gain an insights into future strategies • Report Alert provides link to the latest CSR and sustainability reports http://www.reportalert.info/
Green Industries • • • • •
Sustainable technologies Renewable Energy Biofuels Waste Management Building and Construction
Green Finance Carbon Trading Ethical Investment - standalone - within larger organisations
Entrepreneurial • Clean Tech Start Ups • Social Enterprises • Service Industries
Not for Profit • • • •
Campaign groups Charities Think Tanks Research Institutes and Universities
Planning an environmental career - what motivates you? • What are your areas of interest - sustainable technology or wild life conservation? • Want to work in business? What size - start up or large corporation, or something in between? • Outside of business - how do you feel about charities, pressure groups and think tanks?
Which role? Managerial Technical Finance HR PR/Public Affairs Journalism
How do your skills fit in?
Some sample Vacancies and Internships • Vestas Graduate Programme • Asia Renewables - Junior Analyst, Summer Internship Programme • Synchronicity Earth - Conservation Research Analyst • Komanza - Project Associate and Analyst
Some sample volunteering opportunities • We Are What We Do – Research Assistant • Global Action Plan – Operation Blackout • Tolerance International UK – Volunteers • Clinton Climate Initiative – Volunteer/Intern
Some Organisations that offer graduate training schemes • • • • •
Green Collar Jobs Forum Wednesday 24th February, 5-6.30pm D502 • Magnus Benzie – Consultant, Climate Change Change Impacts, AEA Group • Louise Clancy – Environment Programme Officer (Climate Change Adaptation and Water), Greater London Authority • Sarah Johnson – Policy Advisor, Department of Energy and Climate Change • Alejandro Litovsky – Head of Pathways to Scale Programme, Volans
