Of green-collar jobs and skills

Written by Tay Kay Luan Monday, 11 January 2010 16:17

At the recent sustainable business roundtable forum on “Is the Green Economy Coming?”, Shell Malaysia’s chairman Datuk Saw Choo Boon said the era of low carbon would soon replace the era of fossil fuel, which has been the main driver behind economic growth and the development of nations for generations.

There is a consensus that the effects of greenhouse gas emissions pose a long-term threat to the economic and physical well-being of communities.
Going green involves a sustainable investment in clean technologies, a more efficient use of energy and effective waste management. To be environmentally conscious and responsible, a nation will not only require a total mindset change but also a concerted effort by all stakeholders, especially the government, in the areas of research, education and skill development.

There is little disagreement over future trends and opportunities both for consumers as well as producers of green and sustainable technology across business and society.
Finding parallels in the Internet age, the low-carbon economy must be seen as a fresh opportunity for business to be aligned to the future, as part of our contribution towards reducing global warming and a more efficient use of depleting precious resources.

Greening human capital
Indeed, the recent launch of the National Green Technology Policy is set to play an important role in the development of green technologies and promoting a culture of resource optimisation, which will help reduce the national carbon footprint.

The establishment of the Green Technology Council to drive the change programme will involve human capital development, public education and the promotion of green technologies through fiscal incentives as the future industry of growth. These moves ought to be applauded, but as echoed at the sustainable business roundtable forum, the success of turning the economy green is dependent on the ability of the country to acquire and develop new skills and competencies.

These so-called green-collar jobs could be a construction worker fitting a solar panel or refurbishing a building with energy-efficient devices, car assembly workers involved in the rollout of battery-driven cars or consultants advising on standards or disclosures of alternative energy.

In Australia, there are already classified ads looking for people with skills in environmental protection, energy-efficiency managers for all types of businesses. Sustainability roles could also involve partnership with local communities, employees and customers to see that there’s compliance with environmental legislation, assurance and education for sustainability, among others.

It would be naïve to think that government efforts alone will help reduce the size of the national carbon footprint, as it is now accepted that to be successful, both business and society will need to be educated and guided on why going green will help to sustain our way of life for future generations.

Concerns over the effectiveness of government initiatives are well founded. Past failures and mismanagement of ICT-related projects are reminders of how important it is to get it right. Therefore, leadership with the right vision and enterprise leadership is absolutely necessary for the achievement of the primary outcomes, without which the country would be left with unfulfilled promises.

A closer look at the strategic thrusts indicate the seriousness of the government to ensure a sustainable future and environment for green technology development with a new and employable workforce, the establishment of innovative, economic and fiscal mechanisms to support the development and investment in the new green technology.

These are signs of sustainability. For example, the emphasis on ensuring that future buildings comply with the Green Building Index, as well as the inclusion of green technology as the preferred FDI, and the need to ensure that sustainability skills are the central determinant of the success of the sustainable future. That said, enabling green sustainability will not be easy in a successful economy that is so dependent on subsidised fuel and government intervention.


Success factors and job creation
A successful green economy is dependent on innovative and enterprise leadership to bring home the leading practices that are practical yet deliver competitive advantage to business and value to consumers. A national campaign on investing in energy efficiency in offices or homes should be one of the drivers of a low-carbon economy.

The business model to support green business will be different, therefore the whole process and pricing structure will and must be looked at very differently. And, the introduction of green technology and efforts will impact the entire supply chain, which includes marketing, packaging, production and delivery.

The sustainability industry has the potential to create new employment across many sectors, as green-collar careers can provide new job growth opportunities.
The creation of green-collar jobs will increase as demand increases in the adoption of green technology. Large businesses, like Siemens and Vestas of Denmark, have employed hundreds of engineers to design and build gas and wind turbines to support low-carbon economies. Germany has a clean energy strategy (wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal) that will make up 50% of the energy supply by 2050.

Managing green technology will be necessary, as influences on the take-up of the technologies increase and in turn, opportunities for greenhouse gas reduction and energy and water savings. From construction to business management, sustainability issues are increasingly important in a number of career pathways. These jobs are highly skilled ones and are relevant to sectors as diverse as landscaping and automotive.

Greening industrial sectors
Within the construction and building industry, there are a number of areas where improvements to energy consumption are possible. These include design and operational efficiency, use of materials and the adoption of new technology. The challenge is not only compliance with standards, but also the supply chain, education and cost sensitivity.

The manufacturing sector depends heavily on energy, but it is also a sector that can produce eco-friendly products and be efficient in the use of energy. This sector can make a great difference by using innovative production processes, from which savings can be made, waste reduced and the use of recycling can contribute to environmental sustainability.

Important skills that will support and green the manufacturing sector include those for process design; technical skills for installation, maintenance and improved green technology; software skills in application; awareness and training in waste control and management; and skills in marketing and branding.

Given the significance of this change, the need to emphasise its importance is not to be taken lightly. For example, executing agencies in the strategic sectors should accept that a low-carbon economy is the future, and start planning to bridge the gap in sustainability training both at universities and in industries now.

All these will require huge rethinking in the way business operates, and education is the key. The commitment of policymakers to encourage green technology could mean opportunities for training or retraining that is necessary to help shape this new workforce and ensure a continued supply of skilled workers.

Skill development

To improve the availability of sustainability skills for business, implementing agencies should increase environmental training and professional development for training organisations to increase their capability to deliver training. Enhancing the capacity of training providers to deliver and support the green economy will form an integral part of the skill development strategy. Its success will depend on the effectiveness of the change programmes across all levels of mainstream activities. These should include funding schools as well as community and technical college programmes which prepare teachers with the necessary knowledge about new green and sustainable technologies to educate students.

There should also be a long-term inclusion of energy sustainability concepts in the secondary and post-secondary curriculums to ensure that students are exposed to skills and ideas that are necessary in a wide range of future careers.

Setting the tone
Green-collar jobs and skills will increase as businesses realise that to maximise economic returns, the risks and social costs associated with pollution, health and climate change require that sustainability be part of the way they operate. The government should also provide incentives or funds to assist the development aspect of this initiative.

As rightly concluded at the sustainable business roundtable forum, the presence of a green-collar workforce is key for an economy to go green. The government has been urged to set the tone, and if this transition towards a low-carbon economy is successful, it will bring about prosperity and security for future generations to enjoy.

Tay Kay Luan is ACCA director for Asean and Australasia. ACCA has championed the issue of sustainable development since the early 1990s. For more info on ACCA and sustainability, please visit www.accaglobal.com/sustainability.

This article appeared in netv@lue2.0, the technology section of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 782 Nov 23 - 29 2009

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