What Is the Green Economy and What Job Opportunities Does It Offer?

Record breaking maximum temperatures swept the UK in May and June 2026 and four heatwaves in July triggered amber heat health alerts. Wildfires continue to rage in the UK and have devasted regions in France and Spain prompting over 300,000 people to evacuate. The Met Office has reported over 2,700 excess heat related deaths in England and Wales during the earlier heatwave. The situation in France is even worse, with 5,764 excess deaths recorded between 17^th June and 2^nd July. Human induced climate change has made extreme weather events which can lead to wildfires more likely and more extreme. Not only do we need to mitigate, by decarbonising and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at scale, but adapt and build resilience to our changing planet. Investing in a green economy that promotes sustainable growth without environmental degradation can not only save lives but make economic sense and create new job opportunities.

Indeed, the recent report on Economic Opportunities of Climate Adaptation for the UK estimates that the market to help manage climate risks alone could be worth as much as £355 billion to the UK economy over the next 9 years. This expanding sector will require staffing and offers some exciting new work opportunities.

What Is the Green Economy?

Economic growth remains an essential component of the green economy although social and environmental factors are given a more equal status. The UNEP has defined an inclusive green economy as one that “improves human well-being and builds social equity while reducing environmental risks and scarcities” . Green jobs involve "employment in an activity that contributes to protecting or restoring the environment, including those that mitigate or adapt to climate change". As a recent report has found that the LinkedIn Hiring Rate for green talent in the UK is 38.1% higher than for the overall workforce, now would certainly be a good time to consider transferrable skills and potentially upskill or retrain to enable a move towards a rewarding career.

Opportunities in the Green Economy

ISEP has outlined the UK government’s ambition to create 2 million skilled green jobs by 2030. There are exciting opportunities in a whole host of sectors. ISEP has identified different job types from entry level to leadership positions including the following examples:

Entry level: environmental monitoring officer

Operational: ecologist, carbon accountant, environmental manager, ranger, retrofit coordinator, insurance and financial services roles

Strategic:   campaign manager, environmental impact assessor, farm environment advisor, risk analyst, consultant

Technical: agronomist, auditor, design engineer, heat pump installer, electrician, solar panel installer/maintenance technician  

Leadership: chief executive officer, chief sustainability officer

Environmental Benefits of Green Jobs

Recent weather events bring home the need to slow global heating by reducing GHG emissions. Energy efficiency savings and the expansion of the renewable energy sector is a must to avoid even more severe catastrophic future weather events. Last October, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, the then Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, announced that over £50 billion of clean energy investment had been promised since he had come to office 15 months earlier. These pledges should help create hundreds of thousands of secure, well-paid jobs to build clean energy infrastructure and make millions of homes more energy efficient resulting in the UK becoming a global leader in clean energy sector talent. Using clean energy and ensuring energy efficiency reduces GHG emissions and helps mitigate climate change.

However, our climate has already changed with global temperatures about 1.4⁰C higher than pre-industrial levels. Whilst mitigation measures are a priority, adapting to extreme weather events and building resilience is key to avoid climate related catastrophes by, for example, building physical infrastructure to reduce flooding, growing climate-resilient crops and ensuring insurance is available when disaster does strike. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has estimated that failure to adapt could reduce UK productivity by 3-4% in 2050, which could then double by 2070. The recently published Economic Opportunities of Climate Adaptation for the UK report outlines the significant investment opportunity offered by adapting to climate change which is believed to be worth £3.5 trillion globally between now and 2035. If the UK seizes this opportunity, it could capture between 4 and 10% of the market share, of up to £355 billion during that period.

Adapting and building resilience will lead to job creation in the following sectors:

• infrastructure
• engineering
• data analytics
• insurance and financial services
• risk analysis, modelling and consultancy

Read more in the government’s Economic Opportunities of Climate Adaptation for the UK report.

How Can I Upskill?

According to a recent LinkedIn UK Green Skills Report, barriers to applying for a new green role include lack of experience, lack of green skills and limited local opportunities. There is also a perception that green jobs are primarily technical and associated with renewable energy technologies or desk based.

It is hoped that this blog dispels that myth as there are a host of opportunities as outlined. Existing positions are also evolving. For example, here at Astutis we regularly train health and safety officers and managers whose roles are expanding to include environmental and sustainability considerations. For those yet to enter the workforce, Energy UK offers advice on entry level jobs in local areas and the availability of apprenticeships.

How Astutis Can Help

Ready to build the skills for a green career? Whether you’re looking to move into the green economy, upskill for an evolving role, or lead on sustainability within your organisation, Astutis can help you gain the internationally recognised environmental and sustainability qualifications that employers value. To find out how our training can support your next step, take a look at our library of ISEP courses.