The green sector is set to bring about an employment revolution, as information technology did two decades ago. The new avenue of employment, termed ?green jobs?, is creating waves in renewable energy, environment protection, water and waste management and other climate-related sectors.
Experts say a vast majority of green jobs in India will be related to fields such as managing natural resources like water and land, besides deploying renewable energy systems like wind and solar power. Each of the 6 lakh villages in the country will require a water and waste manager?this alone will create 1.2 crore jobs.
According to Gaurav Gupta, director, The Climate Project India , the green sector offers millions of new employment opportunities, as people are increasingly becoming aware of issues related to climate change. In order to avail these opportunities, appropriate policy changes in education and other fields need to be made.
?Green jobs, relates not only to renewable energy, biodiversity preservation, waste management, water conservation and treatment, and carbon management, but also to the change in employment patterns in favour of greener, cleaner and more sustainable employment. Green jobs can range from working in any field which contributes substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality,?? he said. According to Gupta, in order to highlight the new job opportunities and to focus on the emerging green sector, The Climate Project India and Sierra Club?s Green Livelihoods Centre, are organising, a ?Green Jobs Fair? in New Delhi on September 24 and 26. This is a part of the country?s first ?Habitat Summit? organised by the Urban Habitats Forum, a professional multi-disciplinary public awareness platform. The Green Jobs Fair aims to provide a platform for disseminating information and creating synergies between employers and students, policy makers and community members, and the public and private sectors. It also seeks to make students and job seekers aware of the real and growing careers in the sector and demonstrate to employers that some of the best students and employees are seeking careers in this space. The fair will also aim to make educationists, government officials and education ministers aware of the immense potential offered by this sector, along with the need to provide suitable support to develop skills needed for green jobs.
Stephen Mills, director, Sierra Club International Programmes, said, ?The focus of our work in India and in the US is to create a new green economy, green livelihoods and green jobs. This is our first step in India as part of our thrust towards enabling green livelihood.? Established in 1892, the Sierra Club was named ?the most influential environmental organisation? in Washington DC by the Aspen Institute after surveying all US Congress members and key federal officials. It has over 1.4 million members and supporters who work to empower people and influence public policy through community activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation.