In the evolving landscape of green jobs, many people still associate these roles primarily with the environment and conservation sectors. However, the future of green employment is set to expand significantly into areas such as building energy efficiency, retrofitting, and carbon capture work.

The Spectrum of Green Jobs

Green jobs encompass a wide range of roles, including energy auditors, wind turbine technicians, sustainability managers, environmental lawyers, renewable energy technicians and operators, mechanical engineers, air quality surveyors, and electric vehicle designers and manufacturers. These positions are crucial in supporting Hertfordshire’s and the Government’s legal Net Zero targets, addressing environmental challenges related to nature and biodiversity, climate change and decarbonisation, and waste and pollution reduction.

Legal Drivers of Change

The emphasis on the word ‘legal’ is key, as it drives policy changes such as the Future Homes standards, electric vehicle manufacturing targets, the phasing out of gas boilers for new builds, and ensuring energy security through renewable energy. Legal requirements also compel large corporations to report their environmental responsibilities, including the impact of their supply chains. This means that all businesses working with large corporations must monitor and improve their environmental impact. It is no surprise that top LinkedIn ‘Green posts’ include roles like energy auditors and sustainability managers.

Economic Growth and Job Creation

The Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services sector offers significant economic growth and job creation opportunities. In Hertfordshire, plans are underway to build 100,000 new sustainable homes and retrofit around half a million existing homes. This ambitious plan requires a workforce equipped with green skills to create a sustainable built environment.

The Green Skills Landscape

As we transition to a Net Zero and greener economy, more green skills and jobs are required. ‘Green skills’ is an umbrella term for the technical skills, knowledge, behaviour, and capabilities required to tackle core environmental challenges. Every job has the potential to become green or be affected by greening, though not all jobs or sectors will be impacted in the same way or at the same time.

Recent reports highlight that future demand for green jobs and skills spans a spectrum. This ranges from specific technical requirements in activities directly supporting the transition to a greener economy, to more general sustainability roles that work across organisations and sectors to ensure alignment and coherence. Broader skills like management and people skills are essential for implementing rapid cultural and organisational change and ensuring the efficiency of green activities.

Hertfordshire’s Green Sector Value

In 2021/22, Hertfordshire’s Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services sector was worth £5.8 billion in sales, had over 2,000 businesses, and employed over 40,000 people. This is forecasted to grow in value to £8.2bn by 2025/26.  This will require a significant growth in employment opportunities.  A Local Government Association report estimates that for the low carbon and renewable energy sub sector alone 13,000 Hertfordshire jobs will be required by 2030, rising to 22,000 by 2050.

Meeting the Demand

To meet the UK’s Net Zero targets and tackle climate change, we need wide range of green skills and jobs such as renewable energy technicians and operators, solar panel installers, wind turbine engineers, architects who can design low-carbon buildings, and professionals to design and manufacture low-carbon goods.

Helen Pollock, Clean Growth Manager said: “At Hertfordshire Futures, we recognise that the transition to a greener economy offers significant employment opportunities across a wide range of business operational and industry sector areas. We are committed to equipping our workforce with the necessary green skills to meet the environmental challenges ahead and enable clean economic growth. Jobs like energy auditors, retrofitters, renewable energy technicians, and sustainability managers are crucial for building sustainable homes, retrofitting existing ones, and meeting our Net Zero targets. With every job having the potential to contribute to a greener future, we are dedicated to ensuring our community is prepared for this exciting transformation.” 

Meeting these targets and enabling a greener economy is a priority for Hertfordshire. The Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services sector is economically significant and growing, offering substantial opportunities for job creation and economic development.

Hertfordshire Futures is committed to supporting this transition and ensuring that our workforce is equipped with the necessary green skills to thrive in a sustainable future.