The Institute’s #GreenSkillsAtCOP campaign urges countries to integrate workforce strategies into revised plans for nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which must include clear targets, robust policies, and significant investment.
IEMA has written to the COP29 president and UK climate minister, with SUEZ, Ovo Energy, the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts and British Chambers of Commerce also among the organisations backing the call to action.
This comes after a recent report from LinkedIn revealed that almost one in five jobs requiring green skills will lack qualified candidates by 2030 if current trends persist, rising to one in two by 2050.
"LinkedIn is proud to join IEMA in calling for green skills to be core to commitments at COP29,” the company’s lead for sustainability and workforce policy partnerships, Efrem Bycer, said.
“Our data shows that by 2050, half of all jobs could lack the green talent required to fill them. This talent shortage, driven by a lack of necessary skills, poses a significant threat to climate progress.
“Without the skilled workforce needed to build new infrastructure, develop innovative technologies, and rethink business models, we won’t meet our climate goals. Investment in green skills is essential to bridge this gap, drive economic growth, and ensure a sustainable future."
LinkedIn's report suggests that the green talent pool must double by 2050 “at a bare minimum” to keep pace with projected demand, with the hiring rate for green talent 54.6% greater than the hiring rate overall.
However, it also indicates that women are being shut out of the green workforce, with just one in 10 currently having a green skill, compared to almost one in five men.
Furthermore, despite Gen Z forecast to make up one-third of the workforce by 2030, and 61% wanting to work in a green job in the next five years, just one in 10 will possess green skills by then at the current rate.
IEMA’s deputy CEO Martin Baxter is currently in Azerbaijan advocating for greater green skills development, and the Institute has also published a policy briefing outlining the key topics on the agenda at the climate summit.
“Currently there is the critical implementation gap in the global response to the climate and biodiversity breakdowns,” Baxter said. “We urgently need a clear focus on green education, skills and jobs to build capacity and capability to translate ambition into action.
“We have a growing and broad coalition of partners that are urging global leaders to focus on building capacity for green education, training, skills and jobs to ensure every country has a workforce that can deliver on their biodiversity and climate targets.”
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of IEMA’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for IEMA members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.