Earth and soul | How green jobs are eco-friendly, sustainable and futuristic

Green job is the new catchphrase which is trending in the realm of global environmental policy issues. They are also known as green-collared jobs, sustainability jobs, eco jobs or environmental jobs. Simply speaking, any job that reduces the impact of human economic activity on the environment or contributes to restoring the environment is known as a green job.

Green job is a very wide term encompassing almost all areas of the economy. It is any business or profession which produces goods or services which are good for the environment; for example, green-buildings or solar-energy panels. This economic-activity can be either in the ‘green-sector’ like renewable energy sector or regular sectors of the economy like infrastructure, manufacturing or construction.

If there’s any doubt whether a particular job is green or not, long-term ecological footprints through the techniques such as  cradle-to-grave  analysis,  environmental impact assessment  or  ecological footprint  analysis, should be applied to determine how green any product, service, field or job actually is. A green job can be a self-employment,  small business , or an entrepreneurship with ecology in mind. It can be a business or profession with corporate, NGOs, government or education.

As a green job is the environment aspect of any economic activity, it is very wide in its implications and aspects. Sometimes, the process adopted by a business unit may not be ‘green’ and only the final product is ‘green’. In that case, it is a product-based green job, instead of process-based green job. The following examples will sketch out various aspects of green jobs:

• You are working in a ‘green sector’ where the goods or services are produced which are reducing the impact on the environment and are environmentally friendly. For example, you are employed in a business unit which manufactures air-purifiers or low-carbon emission industries. Other examples of this aspect include products and services like toxin-free homes, solar and wind power, etc.
• You are working in a sector which is developing and innovating eco-sustainable technologies. It includes a research-based approach where the business unit is engaged in eco-technologies. For example, a company developing green-hydrogen which may replace traditional sources of energy.
• You are working in a company which is in the regular sector but is following environmentally conscious practices. For example, you are working in the construction sector which is reusing bio-waste as material in construction activity. Other examples of this aspect include practices like energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction, reuse, recycling, etc.
• You are using skills or services which are good for preserving the environment. Here the focus is on imparting skills and education. For example, you are giving consultancy (green consultancy) on how to save energy or how to use resources efficiently. Other examples of this aspect include consumerism, environmental educator, peace, green tourism, green schools etc.
• You are directly earning from a business or profession which is preserving the environment. For example, you are earning by making urban forests or organic farming. You are having green skills and working as professional in and such as a solar engineer, or an organic gardener, environmental health, biodiversity, local and natural food, green building, eco-villages, wildlife parks and nature, conservation, climate change, sustainable agriculture, green business, green media, sustainable living, sustainable development, sustainable forestry, etc.

The major contours of green job at the level of individual, corporate, organisations, governments and education are 5Rs: Reduce, Reuse, reclaim, Refuse and Repurposing.

• Reduce the use of environmentally harmful goods and services. For example, shifting to organic farming from pesticide-based farming.
• Reusing the products which help in containing the pressure on natural resources. For example, reusing the non-biodegradable waste like used tiles in constructing green buildings.
• Reclaiming the things which we have lost to the environment. For example, reclaiming the lost area by reforestation and afforestation in the areas where natural forests have depleted.
• Refusing the product and services which lead to environmental degradation. For example, refusing to use products in business activities like asbestos, which are hazardous to the environment.
• Repurposing the way we live. For example, adopting more activities like bicycling, walking, public transit, non-motorised recreation etc.

Benefits of green jobs

• It will lead to a sustainable and environmentally conscious society. It will protect and restore ecosystems at local, regional and global levels.
• The first prerequisite of any economy aspiring to be a green economy is green jobs. It will lead to a green economy.
• It will lead to reduction of costs indirectly like impact on health, environment and exposure of vulnerable sections.
• It will lead to improving energy and raw materials efficiency. It will limit greenhouse gas emissions and minimise waste and pollution.

India and green jobs

India is on the verge of a big leap from a developing economy to a sustainable green economy. It has a huge potential for green jobs.

The four key green sectors are: renewable sectors, waste management, green transport and urban forestry. With the development of the economy and the government’s emphasis on green budget, these sectors will be generating huge opportunities in the green fields. In the Budget 2022-23, the government has specifically highlighted the aspect of green jobs.

A study by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements estimates creation of three million jobs in green sectors by 2030. As per data from TREE, the growth of green jobs in India has increased to 67 per cent from 1998 to 2007.

Another study concludes that 24 million jobs could be created by transitioning to a circular economy, which includes activities such as (5Rs of sustainability) of recycling, reuse and repurpose, and ecosystem services such as soil, air and water purification. The Indian economy is tapping its own natural renewable energy sources which will create a huge demand for skilled and unskilled jobs.

Green jobs are the future ahead. It is time to tap the potential of green jobs and integrate them to our economy so as sustainability becomes a culture.

Geetanjali Mehra is an interior designer and a prominent environmentalist. She has created more than 125 urban-forests and is a pioneer in vertical gardens with waste plastic bottles. She has also started the world’s first ever free Tree and Plant Hospital equipped with tree ambulances. Views expressed are personal.