What's on the green skills list?

Sadly, I don't see there being a 'list' of green skills as such. If only life were that simple! The level of economic transformation to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% and build resilience to climate impacts, is almost unimaginable. Every job will change, with both organisations and individuals needing to constantly learn and evolve. Ensuring people have the skills and confidence to do this is essential if we are to deliver a just transition. The question then becomes, what are the skills needed to thrive, as the economy shifts. If you're looking for some guidance, these are my recommendations:

Build the foundations

The most important skills for individuals to develop, in order to thrive in the transition are the Essential Skills identified by Skills Builder Partnership. Resilience, problem solving, teamwork, etc. The scale and pace of change will accelerate and adaptability will be key, so it's vital that everybody builds their essential skills muscles.

Organisations too must adapt. The old ways of leading and management won't cut it in the future. We need to develop a new set of organisational competencies that build the culture and capabilities needed. Business in the Community 's Green Skills Routemap identifies a suite of capabilities that will help organisations to thrive in the future:

Embed digital competence

Digital skills will also be a core component, as data capture, analysis and reporting are critical and AI will increasingly become an important tool in managing the transition effectively.

But good digital skills rest on a solid underpinning of numeracy, literacy, the ability to ask good questions and analyse data. From an inclusivity point of view, it's vital that different needs and preferences are considered and that people at all levels of an organisation have the confidence to ask questions and try new things.

It is also vitally important that organisations provide the right tools, so that people can access the hardware and software and that the culture encourages and supports people to use them, to ensure consistency.

Top up the technical

Most people assume that the technical skills are what make a job a green job and will think of renewable energy installers or building retrofitters as green. But technical skills are really the icing on the cake and will be different for each role.

Finance people will need to understand and report on non-financial information. Procurement people will need to understand scope 3 emissions and develop new strategies to engage and support suppliers. Facilities people will need to look at new ways to build efficiencies, access renewable energy sources. HR people will need to understand how the transition will change the roles needed in their business, design skills pathways and support employees to adapt. Customer and public facing roles will need to be able to talk about climate action as questions become more common.

Leadership is the bedrock

However, what has become clear through my work on green skills over the last few years is that effective leadership is essential. Understanding and embedding climate risks and opportunities into strategy. Thinking through what that means for functions and teams - now and in the future. Empowering people at every level to explore fresh ideas and develop new ways of working. A willingness to try, fail and pivot. Designing with people, rather than imposing on them.

So, leadership skills from the top down, are the most essential 'green' skills. They will drive the change needed to ensure a just transition to a net zero, resilient future. Not a checklist of green skills that apply to everyone. We must centre adaptability and inclusion as we plot our pathways to net zero and climate resilience, bring HR, sustainability and line managers together to collaborate across organisations, create plans and then give everyone the chance to build what's next together.