Green jobs: an opportunity to heal the planet and the minds of Generation Z
How do you think your career choices can create positive change for the environment?
Have you ever been anxious or worried about what the planet’s ecological future will look like?
Have you considered working in an area where you can combat climate change?
Find out how you can create a healthier future and how your chosen career can be part of the change the world needs.
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Green jobs: an opportunity to heal the planet and the minds of Gen Z
The global crisis and climate change are realities that affect us in many ways. The world is full of fear, anguish and concern, but those who are suffering the most according to some studies, are the young people of generation Z, people who have had at their fingertips’ technology, immediate information and social networks, but despite all these facilities feel a strong call to build a better planet.
This concern is currently called ecological anxiety, better known as eco-anxiety, which has several types of behaviors and consumption that directly influence young people when choosing their professional careers, generating positive and hopeful results oriented towards sustainability and the restoration of degraded natural resources.
Anxiety due to environmental crisis
Generation Z, or Centennials, are known as people born from 1997 to the beginning of the 2010s.
They are the young people who have been exposed to a world contaminated by alarming news, with content of climate change and ecological crisis; more common forest fires, droughts in different parts of the world, and the decrease or disappearance of living beings globally. This has generated a significant emotional impact on Generation Z, which produces sadness, anguish, fear, and helplessness in the face of this great global problem, such as the deterioration of the environment.
The Lancet magazine conducted a global study, where more than 60% of young people say they feel very concerned about climate change, considering that the management of the governments of their countries has been inadequate or insufficient. Consequently, leaders are being formed with innovative ideas on this issue, giving rise to a range of professions to cover the world of work that promote their desires for a better planet.
What are green jobs?
They are all those that help to conserve or improve the environment over time. Some of those that can be mentioned are:
- Renewable energies (solar, wind, geothermal)
- Regenerative and urban agriculture
- Green building and energy efficiency
- Clean transportation and sustainable mobility
- Waste management and recycling
- Conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity
- Technological innovation with a positive environmental impact.
Most importantly, these jobs not only help generate a good economic income, but are also seen as a great stimulus with a purpose. All those who have experienced it feel more involved with their professional vocation, causing a positive impact in any area where they develop it.
Past vs. Future
The concern about these changes and possible consequences on the environment has been raised for several years; however, by 2022, although this trend was taken into account from the concerns about what is happening, there was very little action to be developed by the Z generation.
According to the World Economic Forum:
“Make no mistake: Generation Z already understands the importance of protecting the environment. The vast majority of these young adults, including 93% in the United States and 84% in the United Kingdom, say that addressing climate change is crucial to the future of the planet.
But there is a disconnect between concern and action. In the U.S., more than 40% of Generation Z members see climate change as one of the top three issues facing the world, but only 20% say they minimize their waste, compared to 45% of the general population. Similarly, only 37% claim to reduce their energy and utility consumption, compared to 43% of the general population. Of those who do try to reduce their energy consumption, less than half of Generation Z respondents claim to turn off lights or reduce their use of heating or air conditioning, compared to nearly 70% of non-Generation Z adults.” (World Economic Forum, 2022)
Turning work into therapy
The British magazine Freethink, wrote an article where you can see what green jobs are like, therapy for young people who have ecological anxiety. With such jobs, those burdened by environmental problems can feel the satisfaction of contributing and being able to take action.
Currently, green jobs such as installing solar panels, managing a community garden, sustainability consulting, or waste management are ways to heal ecological anxiety, because they diminish the feeling of helplessness, giving them peace, hope, and generating a real social transformation.
Opportunities are open for everyone
According to ILO data, by 2030, more than 24 million green jobs will be created globally, because governments and private investment are making changes and allocating resources to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy and generate adaptation to climate change.
There is a growing need for new talent in sustainability, such as scientists, engineers, designers, educators, project managers, communicators, social entrepreneurs, and technicians in training; this brings diverse opportunities for young people who have career aspirations related to the environment.
Brands inspired by green jobs
It has been observed over time and mostly in young people, as some brands have joined the new alternatives of responsibility to the environment, mitigating and offering a twist to eco-anxiety, thus achieving inspiration within its conceptualization through products made from recyclable materials to conscious consumption.
As an example, we can mention Sajú, a Colombian brand that started in 2016 with a creative and conscious proposal, bringing to the market straps for glasses made purely from recyclable materials and even achieving, over time, the complete creation of lenses with materials such as acetate, plastic, and aluminum.
The most remarkable thing about this brand is how it managed to connect with young people with its “Sajú Experience”, where anyone interested in less than 20 minutes can create their own glasses using recycled material or select in store. All those who have participated are delighted with the idea and feel part of making a positive contribution to the environment. “It makes me anxious to think about everything that is going on with the environment, but when I find brands like Sajú I feel like I can support something that is going in the right direction. It’s small, yes, but it’s the right step. This way we can be responsible as consumers and at the same time change the anxiety for facts that are satisfied with the respect for nature,” a Colombian student.
Another company that achieved a great change is Patagonia, located in California, USA, which is known as an outdoor clothing brand with a strong link to environmental and social causes. Its focus on sustainability aligns it with Generation Z, environmental causes, and transparency. We can see the focal points of this brand in relation to the environment:
- It uses recycled materials
- Its profits are for the protection of the planet
- It defends and promotes responsible consumption
- It mends used clothes
- It uses organic cotton
- Its profits are for the protection of the planet, as its founder donated the company for the protection of the planet.
What does it take to be part of this change?
Acquiring up-to-date knowledge and having skills such as global awareness, critical thinking, innovation, and adaptability are essential to access these career opportunities. For preparation in all these skills, there are various online learning platforms and universities with flexible schedules.
For students who wish to be agents of change, there are a variety of green professions such as ethics, economics and ecology, and technology that can work as an interdisciplinary team.
Another viable option is to become an activist. For the Z generation, being an activist is not only joining a cause, but becoming part of their identity. This is the case of Nadine Khaouli, who managed to combine her humanitarian work since she was 13 years old with the immensity of social networks, where she shares her passion and fight to reduce poverty in Lebanon. Her initiative has resulted in international recognition and the ability to support young people committed to the development of sustainable goals.
It’s time to take action!
Strategies can be used to change ecological anxiety into concrete actions, such as studying and working in green areas; this can generate in young people the satisfaction of becoming the protagonists of transforming a negative emotion into a positive energy, experiencing an active role, and ceasing to be a victim of climate change.
In this way, they can have a hopeful vision, which makes them see a light at the end of the tunnel. First of all, there are many tools, technologies, and people around the world who every day are working for our planet. The ideal is to take action, get trained, and contribute to having a better world.
Im Libanon nutzt Nadine Khaouli Twitter, Facebook, Instagram und LinkedIn, um ihre aktivistische Arbeit zu dokumentieren und zu verbreiten (Credit: Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Nadine Khaouli)
Recommended reading
For students interested in delving deeper into this topic, we recommend the following articles:
Association of Redlining and Natural Environment with Depressive Symptoms in Women in the Sister Study.
Modeling levels of eco‐conscious awareness.
The Joint Impact of Trait Competitiveness and Competitive Climate on Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety Among Adolescents.
Sustainable Development, Decent Work and Green Jobs
How to help Gen Z turn climate anxiety into action
Climate Change through the lens of Gen Z (video)
Gen Z: How young people are changing activism
How Gen Z are taking on eco-anxiety
The Eco-Anxiety Epidemic: How Gen Z Activists are Channeling Fear into Action
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