There are many definitions of a “green job." The most broadly accepted one: a job that is good for both the economy and the environment. Part of the difficulty in settling on a definition of this field is its broad scope.
Also known as green-collar jobs, the category includes both blue- and white-collar positions across multiple industries. This includes scientists working on renewable energy alternatives, laborers building "smart energy grid" infrastructure, energy auditors who make homes and businesses more energy efficient and instructors who train workers in this field.
The term "green jobs" was popularized by the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which Congress approved as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act 1,2.
The term got more attention in 2009, when the White House Council on Environmental Quality appointed Van Jones as Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in March 2009 3. Jones, author of The Green Collar Economy and founder of Green for All, resigned in September 2009 amid controversy4. The position has not been filled.
The federal government has struggled to define green jobs. Currently, the U.S. Department of Labor categorizes lawn and garden occupations as green industry. In April 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started examining green jobs and their definitions, but the agency has not yet reported any data. The Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration has developed a framework for action on green jobs, but has not put these ideas into place 5.
Some private groups avoid the term completely. In a comprehensive 2009 report, "The Clean Energy Economy," The Pew Charitable Trusts offered this definition: "A clean energy economy generates jobs, businesses and investments while expanding clean energy production, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water and pollution, and conserving waste and other natural resources" 6. The report, which offers the most comprehensive review of the issue, defines five keycategories where green jobs are found: clean energy, energy efficiency, environmentally friendly production, conservation and pollution mitigation, and training and support.
On a global level, the United Nations Environment Programme provides another clear definition of green jobs: “work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) to substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution" 7. In September 2008, the UNEP issued a comprehensive global analysis of green jobs, which was produced with the Worldwatch Institute and the Cornell Global Labor Institute 8.
In "200 Best Jobs for Renewing America," author Laurence Shatkin names the green technology industry as the fastest-growing source of high-paying jobs in the United States. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, he ranks the 10 green job categories projected to grow the fastest between 2006 and 2016.
| Job |
Growth | Avg. Annual Earnings |
| Environmental Engineers | 25.4% | $72,350 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists | 25.1% | $58,380 |
| Geoscientists | 21.9% | $75,800 |
| Industrial Engineers | 20.3% | $71,430 |
| Construction and Building Instructors | 18.2% | $48,330 |
| Construction Managers | 15.7% | $76,230 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters | 10.6% | $44,090 |
| Carpenters | 10.3% | $37,660 |
| First-line Supervisors/Managers of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 9.1% | $55,950 |
| Electricians | 7.4% | $44,780 |
Source: 200 Best Jobs for Renewing America9.
Green jobs exist in many sectors of the economy, including:
Clean Energy
This sector includes jobs that reduce and manage energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions, improve products and processes, and produce renewable energy resources like wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels. Jobs in this sector include: electricians, electrical engineers, smart grid mechanics, solar panel installers, wind turbine mechanics, energy auditors, battery researchers, weatherizers, heating and air conditioning installers, environmental scientists, and energy efficency software programmers.
Green Building
Buildings are responsible for 30 to 40 percent of global energy use 10. A 2007 report of the International Panel on Climate Change found that the building and construction sector has the largest potential to reduce greenhouse gases. About one in 10 jobs in the U.S. economy is in building and construction. As this sector adopts green practices, such as energy-efficient technology and design, more green building jobs are likely to be created. Jobs in this sector include: architects, roofers, LEED certified building inspectors, retrofitting and weatherization specialists, installers and producers of green building equipment and materials like alternative cement.
Smart Grid
Smart grid technology improves transmission and management of both clean and conventional electricity 11,12. That dual nature makes jobs in this sector more difficult to define as green. Jobs in this sector include: powerline workers, installers of energy management systems in buildings, designers who build software to manage heating and cooling systems, and energy auditors.
Green Manufacturing
Companies in this sector produce environmentally friendly and energy efficient products. Jobs in this sector include: workers who manufacture hybrid diesel trucks and cars, chemists who design environmentally friendly packaging, builders of energy efficient housing materials, and laborers involved in biofuels production.
Transportation
Green jobs in transportation include development of green vehicles (hybrids, electric cars, clean diesel, natural gas vehicles, and cars that run on higher ethanol blends); public transportation and environmentally friendly infrastructure (such as development of plug-in stations for electric vehicles); development of energy storage (advanced batteries, fuel cells, and hybrid systems); and alternative fuels (including fueling infrastructure, biodiesel, ethanol, and hydrogen).
Conservation and Pollution Mitigation
This sector includes jobs or businesses that manage water and other natural resources, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, recycle materials and reduce waste. Jobs in this sector include: air and water quality technicians, hazardous materials specialists, environmental scientists and technicians, recyclable material collectors, soil and water conservationists, geological scientists, mechanical engineers, wastewater treatment plant operators and groundwater engineers.
Training and Support
This sector supports and trains workers in all of the categories listed above. Jobs in this sector include: legal services, public relations specialists, vocational teachers, environmental educators and renewable energy researchers.