The role of green skills in the changing global economy

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With the world facing a climate crisis, the need to create a sustainable economy has never been greater. A forward-looking LinkedIn report provides a fresh perspective on the role of green skills in the transition towards a sustainable future

THE GLOBAL economy is undergoing a massive shift, and the COVID-19 pandemic has given employees the opportunity to rethink how, where and why they work. As a result, an increasing number of professionals are being drawn towards more meaningful and purposeful opportunities. Meanwhile, another transformation is happening – the transition to a green economy, fuelled by an urgent need to address the climate crisis and achieve net zero targets. Defined as “skills that enable the environmental sustainability of economic activities”, green skills are increasingly making their way into existing jobs and sectors. With every country in the world facing an urgent need to meet specific climate targets, there has never been a more critical time to invest in green skills, and to hire talent to help businesses succeed while also taking care of the planet.

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“Significant skill-building is at the core of accelerating net zero, and we aspire for all of our 85,000 colleagues to have skills in this space to make our ambitious stand a reality”

Tanuj Kapilashrami, Standard Chartered Bank

Companies have been confronting the challenge head-on, and many have seized the opportunity to make a significant investment into upskilling staff for green jobs and introducing green skills into existing roles to drive sustainability. “Significant skill-building is at the core of accelerating net zero, and we aspire for all of our 85,000 colleagues to have skills in this space to make our ambitious stand a reality,” says Tanuj Kapilashrami, chief human resources officer at Standard Chartered Bank. “We are designing and deploying learning programs that enable all our people to upskill themselves on driving sustainability through the bank’s business, operations and community partnerships.”

Green skills are growing, but there is still work to be done LinkedIn recently released its Global Green Skills Report 2022, which analysed data from its platform of 830 million members around the world. While the figures show a massive surge in jobs driven by new climate policies – for example, in the US, jobs in the renewables and environment sector have risen by 237% – green skills are also increasingly becoming a requirement of traditionally non-green roles. These include jobs in the sustainable fashion, corporate social responsibility, environmental awareness, and health and safety sectors.

Singapore has followed this global trend, with its finance sector being a major recruiter of green talent and its agricultural sector recording a growing share of green skills. The LinkedIn report shows that job postings requiring green skills have grown by 8% annually over the past five years, and the share of green talent has also increased by roughly 6% annually during the same period. LinkedIn head of Asia Frank Koo says making green skills essential to a larger range of jobs is a positive change for Asia, and that bringing more green skills into traditionally non-green jobs will be crucial to helping achieve global climate targets. “It will be increasingly vital for key sectors across Asia to place an importance on greening jobs,” Koo explains. “Having such buy-in from as many sectors as possible will put Singapore, and Asia, in a strong position to take on the sustainability challenge.”

Where does Asia-Pacific stand on green hiring? LinkedIn’s Global Green Skills Report highlights five countries – Australia, China, India, New Zealand and Singapore – as “pivotal to the green movement” in the Asia-Pacific region. The report shows that while some of these countries still have a way to go on green hiring, certain sectors have been making solid progress in developing green skills and creating opportunities for green talent. Singapore’s share of green hiring has risen, with green hiring 15% higher in 2021 than it was in 2016. However, at the same time, non-green hiring has increased by 4%, and this is particularly concerning as non-green jobs account for almost 50% of total hires.

“We must take proactive steps to address the effects of climate change today so we can build a sustainable future for the generations of tomorrow. Achieving our collective global climate targets will require a whole-of-economy effort. Ultimately, it will come down to us people — how we rise to meet the jobs and skills requirement for a greener future”

Frank Koo, LinkedIn Talent Solutions

“To achieve a more sustainable future together, businesses can play a role,” Koo says. “It’s important that they understand the value of incorporating green champions into their workforce, which not only benefits the wider community but also makes sense for their business bottom lines.” The report notes that Asia-Pacific’s agricultural sector has a particularly large share of green skills – an important development, as the sector has been pinpointed as “critical” to achieving the area’s climate targets. The region’s IT and software sector is also above the global average on green talent, and Singaporean entrepreneurs are increasingly likely to list one or more green skills. "The solution is to not only hire more people into green jobs but also look to incorporate green skills into existing jobs that are not traditionally green in nature,” Koo says. “For example, a procurement professional can be upskilled in the area of sustainable procurement and therefore contribute to the company’s sustainability efforts. Likewise, a facilities manager can be upskilled to be able to evaluate and implement recycling programs in office facilities."

Finally, the power to drive green hiring ultimately lies with the workforce. LinkedIn encourages jobseekers to consider a career that “allows for regular upskilling, activates your role in the green transition, and enhances your future employability”. Staying up to date on your sector’s green transition can allow you to identify upskilling opportunities as they come, and actively asking for training will speed up the upskilling process. “We must take proactive steps to address the effects of climate change today so we can build a sustainable future for the generations of tomorrow,” Koo concludes. “Achieving our collective global climate targets will require a whole-of-economy effort. Ultimately, it will come down to us people – how we rise to meet the jobs and skills requirement for a greener future." Learn how the world of work is evolving towards a green economy, what jobs and skills are on the rise, how sectors and countries are adapting, and how you can play a role in this crucial transition. To read the full Global Green Skills Report 2022, click here.

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Turning insights into action Addressing the climate crisis is a monumental challenge, and according to LinkedIn, taking a skills-first approach is a vital step towards transforming the global economy. Its Global Green Skills Report highlights the need to identify jobs with the highest ability to turn sectors green, as well as provide more opportunities for new and existing workers to add green skills to their skill sets. When it comes to taking action, the onus will firstly be on policymakers to champion green skills. The report notes that policymakers are in a unique position to provide direction on which skills need to be developed in specific sectors, and to drive a targeted approach to upskilling and reskilling. Business leaders also have a significant role to play. They can support green upskilling and reskilling through training, learning courses and local programs, and by hiring talent with existing green skills. Investing into new entrepreneurs can also help expand green business opportunities.