Voice of London

According to the World Economic Forum’s Youth Recovery Plan 2021, Davos Labs reported nearly 46 percent of young people believe that they do not have appropriate skills to ensure that they can find decent jobs in the next five to ten years.

In an opening speech, COP 26 President Alok Sharma said: “Seize the enormous opportunities for green growth, for good green jobs, for cheaper, cleaner power.”

Mrs Tongwen Zhao, director of people and planet in Quorn，she said: “The future of sustainable development will eventually belong to young people.”

Quorn Mrs Tongwen Zhao shared her ideas about young people in green jobs.

Where are green jobs?

The development of green occupations in a region depends on the existing expertise in the region and the geographical location of sustainable energy.

The service industry that supports green transformation is developing fast in London and the southeast of England. The wind energy resources in the north of the UK are abundant, and there are many types of renewable energy sources over there.

Green jobs are unevenly distributed around the world. Different sustainable development policies across countries directly affect the type of talents selected by related companies and government departments.

Amanda Wu, a Geography student on sustainable development of citizen science, University College London (UCL), said: “I think finding a job related to my major in London is easier than in Shanghai, China.”

Developed countries, such as the UK and the US, often have a solid foundation for sustainable development, where there are more green job opportunities than developing countries.

In the process of some Chinese companies recruiting employees for green projects, they prefer talents with marketing and managerial skills. However, some talents, such as those in material science and renewable energy science —— related fields, often have very limited career options in China.

How many green jobs are there in the next 30 years in the UK?

According to the Local Government Association’s (LGA) creating local green report (2020), the direct employment in low-carbon and renewable energy economy will reach 694,000 in 10 years, while the number of green jobs in the UK will increase dramatically in 30 years, reaching more than 1.18 million by 2050.

The UK has a solid economic foundation for green projects. Green Gilt —— the largest green bond issued by any country, raised a total of £16 billion in September and October 2021, driving the process to net zero emissions and creating green jobs.

Strengthen awareness of sustainable development

Mrs Zhao shared her views of the British talents market in the sustainable food industry with Voice of London (VoL).

In the past five years, the development of the British vegetarian industry accelerated, and the demand for researchers in the field of raw materials in food manufacturing has increased significantly.

Mrs Zhao said: “These researchers with excellent knowledge of sustainable development account for only a small part of the Quorn’s employees”.

Mrs Zhao strongly recommended that all departments of food companies should promote “the ideology of sustainable development”. This is particularly important for vegetarian companies or other companies that provide sustainable products, which effectively accomplish the projects of sustainable development and achieve the net zero emissions goal.

Expert suggestion: The best way to succeed in green jobs

How can talents gain a unique competitive advantage in the green market? Mrs Zhao shared a secret, saying: “Maintaining good relationships with relevant government departments, policy-making departments and relevant NGOs is the key.”

People who have been working in the sustainable development industry for a long time would be well connected to relevant groups. However, it would take time to develop such connections, where good communication skills are crucial.

For students and those who want to enter the green industry, making good use of all available resources around them is an important step.

Amanda Wu, a student at University College London (UCL) said: “If students are interested in sustainable development, the simplest and most effective way is to attend different activities offered by their schools, clubs such as Model United Nations, experts’ lectures, or to become volunteers etc.”

It is necessary for students and people in every industry to gain knowledge of sustainable development, while the generation of more green jobs would be crucial to meet our environmental goals.

Words&Video Editor: Zhen Guo| Subbing: Catherine Chu