By Sonali Sheikh
All things green is the new buzzword across all industry sectors, the economy and the fever has caught on with the HR world as well. Green equates to sustainability, which refers to a balanced use of resources by the current generation in such a manner that they can be preserved for future generations as well.
As brands today increasingly become conscious of how their business activities can deplete finite resources and adversely affect the environment, they are adopting best practices that are sustainable. This has given rise to job opportunities in sustainability across the globe and especially in India.
Once-in-a-generation growth in sustainability jobs
India’s COP26 commitment to net-zero by 2070 is the primary threshold that is set to create over 50 million new jobs in the climate sector for discerning individuals as the country achieves this target. India is also fast emerging as a global green innovation hub, which when well supported by the government via incentives and subsidies, along with the development of green tech business incubators and R&D centres, will advance the growth of job opportunities manifold.
Increased investments for the development of indigenous technologies and manufacturing capabilities for climate and resource conservation will enable faster growth of the sector. The strong focus of the recently announced Union Budget 2022-23 on climate action and sustainable development is further set to give an impetus to this.
The onward journey from here to a sustainable future is all set to rejuvenate the entire job ecosystem in India and opportunities in the field is all set to boom and become the next big thing in the country.
Discovering skilled and talented employees
There is, however, an urgent need to develop a skilled talent pool for climate and environmental action in India. Nature-related jobs drive green recovery for the country’s economy, but without a well-trained workforce, this transition will not be impossible. The availability of workers with the right skills for green jobs plays a critical role in initiating the transition to a green economy. For this, the right amount of knowledge as well as deep passion for environmental and social sustainability is required in equal amounts amongst employees.
Once an individual has the passion, what is most critical is upskilling the probable employee’s technical know-how. A number of Indian universities like IITs, IIMs, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, TERI, IP, SIU and XIMB, amongst others, now offer specialised courses in environmental sustainability at graduate as well as postgraduate levels. There are also various specialised professional certificate courses on sustainability. Students are educated on specifics like green economy, sustainable products, green marketing, green manufacturing, etc. That said, India urgently needs requisite education policy and accreditations that supports this talent pool creation. In addition, environment and climate science should be added to school curriculum and children should be introduced to climate crisis early on. Industry experts should also increasingly partner with academia to help bridge the talent crunch. This will increase the focus on specialised professional courses and encourage more people to discover sustainability as a job opportunity.
As climate experts, while we are waiting for a future where more businesses adopt sustainable solutions, we are also strongly advocating for the creation of a skilled workforce with our consistent on-the-job training that includes educative sessions for existing employees and internship opportunities for students.
Building a sustainable tomorrow
Careers in sustainability also spark a sense of joy and satisfaction amongst employees as everyone comes together to work towards creating a balance between the environment, society and economy. All climate heroes in the industry together are building a healthier tomorrow and we want to encourage more people to join this bandwagon. When more hands and minds come together, we can achieve the country’s climate goals faster, even as the planet and our home becomes greener.
The author is director, Human Resource & Administration, EKI Energy Services Ltd
