Serving the Earth: 11 Promising Green Economy Jobs

The change of economic formations has always caused a wide demand for new skills, and hence new professions. The trend towards sustainable development will lead to the creation of millions of jobs in the green economy in the coming years

New technologies of the “green” economy make it possible to create completely new professions and specialties, and hence jobs. National Geographic magazine has collected 11 “green” qualifications, the demand for which is now rapidly growing.

The beds and greenhouses on the roofs of skyscrapers already exist. If a restaurant grows tomatoes on its own roof, it saves on purchasing and transportation. Easier logistics – fewer trucks that pollute the atmosphere. A rooftop garden will require a dedicated agronomist to plant, care for, and harvest.

National Geographic cites one example: In 2008, the Ivanhoe Reservoir (named after the character in Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe) near Los Angeles was filled with millions of plastic balloons that save water from the sun’s rays. The fact is that bromide is naturally formed in an artificial lake, but chlorine is poured in to fight bacteria. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, bromide and chlorine react, forming toxic carcinogens.

Coming up with a solution to a problem and then regularly monitoring Ivanhoe’s water conditions is just a special case of the vast water quality profession. Given the growing attention of society, the state and business to the purity of water, the demand for such specialists will grow.

Electric vehicles and unmanned vehicles are another vast area for the production of “green” vacancies in the labor market. In the United States alone, nearly 500 people are now working on the creation of sustainable transport – and this is with the current level of penetration of electric vehicles. Over time, the industry will grow, adding hundreds of thousands of jobs around the world.

The introduction of the principles of a circular economy will turn the processing industry into one of the key ones for society. New volumes of work will require new capacities and new employees.

While the countries of the world are moving towards a more responsible society, there is a growing need for qualified specialists who will oversee this process, adjusting it as necessary. Biologists, ecologists, oceanographers and many others analyze our impact on nature, on which our well-being ultimately depends.

The use of environmentally friendly materials in the construction of buildings requires an understanding of what, where and how to use in order for the house to become sustainable in both senses of the word – not only does it not fall apart, but actually turns out to be energy efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The demand for those who know how to achieve this will grow.

According to the European Commission, the production of solar power plants in Europe is doubling every two years. So far, solar energy is quite expensive and its efficiency is low, although the trend is now towards increasing efficiency and profitability. So the more renewable energy replaces conventional energy, the greater the need for solar panel technicians will be.

In part, this specialty includes “green” builders and engineers. In general, we are talking about specialists developing new approaches to the organization of space. These are urbanists, and architects, and specialists in landscape design.

Ocean waves are a little-studied, but potentially promising source of energy. The principle of operation of such power plants is similar to the operation of tidal power plants and hydroelectric power stations: a stream of water is supplied to the generator blades. It only happens on the high seas, where the waves can be much stronger.

As with wave power and solar panels, the development of wind energy will require more engineers, technicians and operating personnel in the industry.

The fourth and last of the main areas of “green” energy is bioenergy. Only here we are talking not only about the maintenance personnel of power plants, but also about those who grow raw materials, about chemists who create bioethanol, specialists in enterprise logistics, and so on.

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