Many people might think that achieving net-zero emissions means traditional jobs will disappear, making physical jobs like construction and those in oil and gas obsolete.
However, the reality is quite the opposite. A cleaner, greener future means many traditional, outdoor jobs will become more secure due to reduced climate change risks. For many jobs, it simply means they will evolve and become even more in-demand—in new and innovative ways.
More Construction Jobs
The United States' Inflation Reduction Act and similar legislation worldwide are already set to create millions of jobs in the green economy, including renewable energy and other emerging technologies.
In sectors like oil and gas, which have caused concern for many Americans about their livelihoods as fossil fuels phase out, experts like McKinsey & Co estimate that the hundreds of thousands of new jobs created will overshadow job losses. Skilled workers can easily transition into new industries.
According to a report by C40 Cities, a global network of more than 100 mayors, the construction industry has very little to fear.
“Public and private investments generated by the Inflation Reduction Act are projected to create an average of about 912,000 jobs per year over the next decade, many in the construction sector,” C40 Cities noted in its report titled “Growing the Workforce Needed for Building Retrofits: A Guide for U.S. Cities.”
A New Kind of Construction
Large buildings and factories are among the biggest contributors to harmful emissions.
According to C40 Cities, “Residential and commercial buildings account for a third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, while buildings often represent a greater share in cities, up to 50%-75% of emissions.”
The impact is so significant that U.S. businesses reduced an estimated 60% of their harmful emissions by switching to remote work during the pandemic.
This might seem like bad news for the construction industry—at least as we knew it.
However, an emerging trend has changed the game: green buildings.
Increasingly, new constructions are incorporating advanced designs and sustainable architecture to build environmentally friendly buildings—securing hundreds of thousands of green jobs in the construction industry.
Already, 20 out of 38 large U.S. cities are on track to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gases by the 2050 deadline, paving the way for a secure future for sustainable construction and the jobs that follow.
Discover the latest green job opportunities in the USA and UK at EcoCareers.