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The job market and growth for sustainability careers or green jobs has grown rapidly in recent years due to increasing public and corporate interest in addressing environmental and social issues. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2015, the ratio of US oil and gas jobs to renewables and environment jobs was 5:1, but by 2020 this ratio had inched closer to 2:1. The WEF predicts that renewables and sustainability professions could actually outnumber oil and gas in total jobs on their platform within the next couple of years, a major pendulum shift towards green jobs in a relatively short period.
Approximately 875,000 Americans already hold jobs related to sustainability, renewable energy, and conservation. Over the next decade, the number of green jobs in the U.S. is expected to grow by another 114,000, or 9%. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA), the renewable energy sector employed 11 million people globally in 2021. The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry alone employed 3.4 million people. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the fastest-growing occupation from 2019 to 2029 is expected to be wind turbine service technicians, with a growth rate of 61%.
Some of the fastest-growing sustainability jobs include:
- Renewable Energy Specialist
- Energy Manager
- Environmental Consultant
- Sustainability Coordinator
- Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
- Climate Change Analyst
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