Over 2 million workers in Canada spend some portion of their time on environmental activities, representing 12% of the total Canadian labour force.
Environmental employment has grown rapidly from 70,000 green workers in 1992 to over 682,000 professionals in 2010 who spend at least 50% of their work time on environment-related activities.
More businesses are looking for professionals who can link environment-related expertise with business planning. These are the top two competencies that companies are looking for:
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Corporate Environmental Program Planning & Implementation (mentioned in 32% of green job postings) and
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Environmental Business, Technology and Product Development (listed in 31% of green job ads).
The Environmental Protection sector currently has the greatest demand for workers with environmental competencies – it accounts for 38% of recent green job vacancies. Demand is also high for environmental professionals in Resource Conservation (21% of green job vacancies) and Renewable/Green Energy (11%).
78% of environmental professionals are engaged in their work, compared to just 64% of the total Canadian workforce. This means that green workers are more likely to do more than is normally required on the job, believe that their contribution is valued by their employer, and recommend their company as a great place to work.
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