Building a Jobs-Centered Just Transition and Climate Action

The global economy is experiencing a “green transition,” a critical shift to address the pressing imperative of combating climate change and its far-reaching impacts. With trillions of dollars being invested by both public and private sectors worldwide, this transition aims to prepare for and mitigate the threats posed by climate change, including extreme weather, resource shortages, and other challenges increasingly affecting our planet.  

In the United States, landmark federal laws such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are pivotal in this shift, generating substantial public capital and offering tax credits to spur further private investment. These legislative efforts accelerate the green transition and increasingly focus on creating and developing green jobs. 

Employers are at the forefront of developing quality green jobs, playing a crucial role in this transformative period. Concurrently, educational institutions and training providers are preparing students and job seekers to secure these emerging good green jobs, ensuring they have the necessary skills and knowledge. Moreover, workforce boards and the broader workforce system actively seek ways to expand the talent pools for green jobs, facilitating the connection between employers and quality candidates. This collective effort underscores a gradual yet significant shift in the U.S. economy, responding to the urgency of climate change and the necessity of transitioning toward a more sustainable and resilient future.

Despite the increasing demand for recognized green job roles such as solar photovoltaic installers, environmental scientists, and electric vehicle technicians, the United States currently boasts only an estimated 900,000 green jobs, accounting for a mere 0.6% of the workforce. This highlights the stark gap in the employment market, especially considering the critical need for a transition toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly economy. Additionally, the representation within these green jobs is lacking, failing to include significant portions of the populations most adversely affected by climate change—individuals from low-income backgrounds, people of color, and residents of rural areas.  

This underrepresentation speaks to a broader, more troubling issue: the pace of transition to a green economy is insufficient to diminish the considerable health risks posed by climate change or build equitable resilience for communities experiencing devastating, continuous natural disasters. Moreover, the emerging green jobs that could serve as pillars for this necessary change, particularly those demanding science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, often require at least a bachelor’s degree. Employers offering green jobs lack entry-level positions or clear pathways for individuals from communities that have not received equitable investments from the government or private-sector institutions, compounding the challenges of achieving an inclusive and equitable green transition. 

This situation is exacerbated by the current inadequacies in job standards and tools, which are ill-equipped to contend fully with the extensive transformation toward a green economy. This shortfall impedes jobseekers’ ability to make informed decisions about opportunities within this growing sector. It restricts employers’ capacity to measure a job’s environmental impact, invest in the “up-greening” of roles, disclose such investments in climate action, and engage actively in the global race toward zero emissions. The deficiency in resources and tools not only limits the ability of jobseekers to navigate the green job market effectively but also prevents employers from playing a more dynamic role in the environmental sustainability movement. 

Implementing solutions addressing the root causes of global warming while ensuring accessible, quality jobs that pave the way for a sustainable future is imperative for a truly just and equitable transition to a green economy. This must prioritize making green jobs more readily available to people from low-income backgrounds and people of color, who are currently vastly underrepresented in the green economy.  

GQ Circle:

Join us in empowering employers and jobseekers to make informed choices for sustainable employment. Together, let’s drive a transformative shift toward a greener, more equitable job market and climate economy. Contact us today to build a brighter and sustainable future for all.