Green Jobs

What are green jobs?

Green jobs can be found in familiar sectors, such as manufacturing, construction and transport, and in newer sectors such as energy efficiency, waste use, recycling, low-carbon transport, buildings and renewable energy.

They are jobs that might involve, for example:

  • increasing the energy efficiency of existing and new-build housing  
  • the provision of public transport, electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure
  • support for recycling, the reuse and reduction of waste materials  
  • managing corporate responsibility for the environment
  • auditing carbon footprint for companies

Furthermore, improving resource efficiency and reducing waste can generate savings that can be invested back into employment.

Jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment and our planet are referred to as ‘green jobs’

– Duke of Edinburgh, 2023

Research and reports

Free Whitepaper – Mind the gap: Why Gen Z talent is crucial in addressing the looming green skills shortfall.

Read our report on the potential for green jobs in Cumbria, published in 2021.

Read our report on the potential for green jobs in Cumbria

Read LinkedIn’s Global Green Skills Report, published 2023.

Read LinkedIn's 2023 Global Green Skills Report

Green Jobs Directory

We have listed a selection of green jobs below, but it is in no way exhaustive. It’s worth remembering that all skills can be applied in the work towards decarbonising and supporting nature!

Duties: advise farmers on soil health and help to produce crops in a more efficient sustainable way

Duties: managing farm and food waste using microorganisms to break down this biodegradable material to create a fuel which produces renewable energy

Duties: manage and maintain trees for local councils and arboricultural contractors

Duties: study changes in the Earth’s climate over time and how they might affect the planet in the future

Duties: Assists businesses to understand and measure the carbon emissions of all their activities. Enables them to report these emissions and implement plans to reduce them as far as possible

Duties: look after green spaces and can work on tree planting schemes to help reduce effects of flooding. Manage protect and improve the rural environment

Duties: make sure that businesses work in an ethical way

Duties: repair EV cars

Duties: study and help to restore environments such as woodlands, plants and animals

Duties: offer energy services and assist clients with a variety of energy needs. They might help clients choose the right energy-efficient product for their needs and preferences, schedule energy equipment installations and educate clients on available energy products and their benefits. They also perform energy audits

Duties: work with people who are interested in installing renewable energy systems like solar panels. The goal of an energy consultant is to help clients find the best renewable energy system for their needs while also mitigating the environmental impact of the installation

Duties: work on systems to support renewable technologies: solar, wind, tidal, hydrogen 

Duties: ensure companies comply with environmental regulations and promote sustainable development

Duties: monitor the environment and identify ways to reduce contamination or pollution. Their responsibilities may include collecting and analysing soil samples, performing environmental impact studies to determine how various human activities affect the environment and cleaning up contaminated sites

Duties: monitor how humans affect the environment. They identify environmental hazards, recommend ways to reduce impact, oversee field examinations and create reports on hazardous materials or locations 

Duties: Design, install, maintain, and repair electrical systems and components. Read technical diagrams and blueprints and follow wiring plans. Troubleshoot and test electrical problems and ensure safety and compliance with regulations.

Duties: plant, manage and harvest trees and care for the environment in forests and woodland 

Duties: study rainfall, rivers and groundwater systems to help develop sustainable ways of managing water 

Duties: add and replace insulation material in homes, buildings and mechanical systems, which helps to save energy and reduce noise

Duties: protect and restore our precious peatlands 

Duties: work in one of 3 sites in Cumbria where building materials are recycled

Duties: carrying out carbon audit then installation of intervention measures i.e. windows, insulation in housing 

Duties: run local recycling schemes and explain the benefits of recycling to the public

Duties: fit meters in customer homes which help people to monitor and reduce the energy they use 

Duties: fit meters in customer homes which help people to monitor and reduce the energy they use 

Duties: work with solar panels. They assemble solar modules, apply sealant, determine how to lay out panels and identify any hazards that would interfere with photovoltaic installations

Duties: work in towns and the countryside, assessing tree health, removing branches, planting new stock and felling unsafe trees

Duties: install insulating materials around pipes, boilers and ductwork in offices, factories, schools and hospitals

Duties: install, repair, operate and maintain the wind turbines that produce renewable energy on land and at sea

This diagram shows where various jobs in Low Energy Building and Retrofit / Refurbishment are found in different stages of the process. It starts with energy model, then survey, then design, the build, and finally monitor and evaluate.

This diagram shows where some of the jobs above can be found throughout the building/retrofit process. Each project starts with an energy model, then moves onto surveying, then designing, then building, and finally monitoring and evaluation.

Useful Links

General careers advice on green skills

Apprenticeships, work experience and courses

  • IEMA – Student membership
    • Student membership of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) might be of interest to anyone interested in a career as an environmental consultant or as a sustainability/environmental manager in any kind of organisation.

Cumbria FE Colleges: green skills training

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