Career greenwashing: Inside the deceptive new world of green jobs

Design Marshal Printworks, a seven-year-old Delhi-based startup selling customized printing services, recently wanted to hire a sustainable materials specialist, a supply chain specialist and a product lifecycle management manager.

The brief was clear. The sustainable materials specialist’s role would be to research eco-friendly materials for merchandise, stuff such as organic cotton or recycled plastics. The supply chain specialist had to scout for environmentally responsible production partners while the product lifecycle manager was expected to design products with a minimal environmental impact.

In short, the company was looking at hiring people for ‘green’ roles. These are jobs that help achieve resource use efficiency while preserving or restoring the environment. Many in the industry have been quick to bracket such jobs as ‘green-collared’. If you are reading this story, you are likely a white-collared professional, someone with an ability to do work that requires higher cognitive ability. Then there is the blue-collared, people who work on the factory shop floor, carpenters, plumbers, security guards etc.

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Design Marshal's human resources team posted the hiring announcement across different social media channels in April this year and the response was overwhelming—within two weeks, over 120 applied for the three vacancies. Applications were received from colleges across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Mid-career professionals from diverse industries also applied, hoping to make a career switch. There were applications from engineers, marketing professionals, and even a few who studied arts.

However, subsequent interviews didn’t go as expected. Most candidates were not even familiar with the vocabulary around climate and sustainability.

The term ‘carbon footprint’, for instance. “When we asked candidates how they would reduce the carbon footprint of our supply chain, many seemed puzzled. Some even confused it with the physical size of a product,” 32-year old Anshul Nagpal, chief executive officer and founder of Design Marshal Printworks, recalled with a wry smile. “While the enthusiasm is high, the depth of knowledge on sustainability is lacking,” he said.

The missing link

Nagpal’s experience reflects a larger problem, especially for a country that is aiming to quickly transition to green energy. India has a lofty goal to become net zero by 2070. The country’s strategy includes low carbon development of electricity systems, transport systems, sustainable urbanisation and a low-emission industrial system among others. The union budget 2024 had also outlined a strategy to sustain high and more resource-efficient economic growth. “We will bring out a policy document on appropriate energy transition pathways that balances the imperatives of employment, growth and environmental sustainability,” finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech on 23 July. India is therefore expected to press the accelerator on electric vehicles, waste management and green infrastructure.

All this will result in a jobs windfall—the growth of electric vehicles alone is expected to create 10 million direct and 50 million indirect jobs by 2030, the Indian government has projected. In 2022-23, the contract/gig workforce in green jobs was estimated at 2.9 million. It is predicted to surge to over 7 million by 2029-30, TeamLease Digital, a staffing services firm, stated in a report published in October 2023.

The problem? Missing green-collared workers. There are thousands of candidates who profess and flout their knowledge of the ‘green’ but in reality lack the skills or the experience. Small and mid-tier companies seem particularly worried about the unavailability of skilled professionals in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) space. The shortage starts with entry-level roles and goes all the way up to senior management professionals.

Job postings for green jobs are growing twice as fast as the number of workers to fill them, LinkedIn’s Global Green Skills Report 2023, which analysed the professional networking site’s membership base in 48 countries, stated. Between 2022 and 2023, the share of green talent in the workforce grew 12.3% globally. However, the share of job postings requiring at least one green skill jumped 22.4%, the report stated. The five-year annualized growth rate between 2018 and 2023 underlined a similar trend. The share of green talent grew by 5.4% per year during that period, while the share of jobs requiring at least one green skill grew faster at 9.2%.

What about India? The share of green talent has increased by 12% year-over-year since February 2022. “We’re seeing steady progress in India where paid job postings that require green skills have increased by 5% year-over-year on LinkedIn,” a spokesperson told Mint. This implies there is a surplus of green talent compared to available green jobs in India but the problem, like we mentioned before, is really whether this talent comes with the requisite skill sets.

Many disciplines, one role

Beyond numbers, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that underlines the supply challenge, particularly for smaller companies.

Aditya R. Sharrma is founder and CEO of Elevate N Renovate, a real estate startup in Delhi. At times, when his clients demand installation of a solar panel, he struggles to find skilled labour. “It is as difficult a task as climbing Mt. Everest,” he said.

Installing a solar panel involves several technical steps, including designing the solar array layout and connecting the system to the grid. All of this requires skills in electrical systems and safety protocols. The lack of adequately trained workers means Sharrma often has to source labour from multiple places, sometimes even outside Delhi, leading to delays and increased costs.

Training people to install solar panels can take a few months, depending on the complexity of the systems and the existing skill of the worker. Basic training programmes range between 40 and 120 hours, which covers both theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice.

“There is a noticeable gap of skilled individuals in the ESG talent pool relative to the current demand,” said Rajesh Aggarwal, managing director at Insecticides (India) Limited, a Delhi-based fertilizer company with a focus on clean energy products.

He added that he scouts for candidates with an understanding of sustainability principles, proficiency in data analysis, strong communication abilities to engage stakeholders, and a strategic mindset.

Sustainability principles are guidelines that help organizations make decisions benefiting the environment—like efficient resource use, minimizing waste and pollution.

“Additionally, a deep understanding of eco-regulations and ethical business practices is highly valued,” Aggarwal added.

Green roles are also a new beast for many organizations. They take time to understand the needs and define these positions. And in some cases, the roles come at the intersection of multiple disciplines, making it harder to find talent.

“Some of these positions require people with knowledge from different areas of study such as environmental and social sciences, engineering, and business management,” Raghunandan Saraf, founder and CEO of Gurugram-based Saraf Furniture, said.

His company is finding it hard to hire people with an expertise in recycled furniture products, he added.

What’s hot

So, what are some of the new, hot roles?

Entry-level positions include green masons using eco-friendly materials, solar panel installers, and wind turbine technicians maintaining renewable energy systems. Mid-level roles like environmental consultants, sustainability analysts, and conservationists focus on regulations, data analysis, and habitat restoration. Senior management roles include environmental engineers solving pollution issues, ESG compliance experts ensuring adherence to standards, and chief sustainability officers (CSOs) who are expected to create long-term sustainability strategies.

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LinkedIn’s analysis in India stated that the top five green skills are in carbon footprinting, sustainability reporting, environmental law, sustainability consulting and radiation safety.

Notably, so far, the most common role that’s been on several Indian companies' priority list is that of the CSO, human resources experts said.

Sudeep Kumar Sen, vice president at Gi Group Holding, an HR services company, said that individuals with degrees in environmental science, environmental management, sustainable development, environmental science and ecology, and environmental science and water management are well-suited for CSO roles. However, a quick LinkedIn search will reveal that professionals with public policy experience, finance and corporate social responsibilities too can advance to such positions within companies in India.

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In other words, to make themselves employable, professionals would have to go beyond ‘greenwashing’ their skills and truly adopt the culture of lifelong learning.