Greening your organisation: A blueprint for a green workforce transformation

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The shift to a green economy will create green jobs within new and emerging sectors, while those working in existing sectors will have to gain the requisite green skills to take advantage of business sustainability.

A YouGov poll, commissioned by IEMA for the report’s launch, found that 56% of the British public had not heard of green jobs, with 62% not understanding what the term green skills meant, and 65% said they didn't have any access to green skills training.

All organisations will be expected to commit and contribute to mitigating and repairing environmental damage. Doing so while remaining economically viable will require different ways of operating from top to bottom, placing new demands on workers at all levels.

The IEMA and Deloitte report paints a picture of an accelerating drive to build this greener workforce across the UK economy. In preparing it, we have developed a succinct set of insights intended to help organisations design their strategic green workforce transformation.

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As the UK transitions to a green economy, our understanding of what it means to be 'green' will undoubtedly evolve. The following are our working definitions and assumptions.

 

Green skills

An umbrella term to refer to the technical skills, knowledge, behaviours and capabilities required to tackle the environmental challenges we face, and to unlock new opportunities for growth.

Green jobs

Specialist roles that directly focus on specific domains or initiatives dedicated to improving environmental outcomes for an organisation or for the economy.

Green economy

A potential future state of the whole UK economy, in which fundamental change in the way the whole economy functions, not unlike the first industrial revolution, has taken place.

Growth will continue to be the essential motif of our economy, but its measurement will be more holistic, more consistently factoring in people and planet alongside profit. For example, we will quantify and value biodiversity as we quantify and value domestic production.

 

 

IEMA

IEMA (the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) is the professional body for everyone working in environment and sustainability.

IEMA is committed to supporting, encouraging and improving the confidence and performance of all such professionals by providing resources and tools, research and knowledge sharing along with high-quality formal training and qualifications.

We believe that, together, we can change perceptions and attitudes about the relevance and vital importance of sustainability as a progressive force for good.

Deloitte

Deloitte is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and related services.

Its culture and purpose – to make an impact that matters – is shared by its member firms all over the world, with approximately 330,000 people in more than 150 countries and territories.

Deloitte's WorldClimate sustainability strategy sets out the company's commitment to reducing its environmental impact and encouraging people to play their part by making responsible climate choices within the organisation and beyond.