Green jobs coming fast

By Stephen Hawboldt

In early October, government and business leaders from the European Community held an international workshop looking at the “Future Skill Needs for a Green Economy.” Right here in the Annapolis Valley one can witness the emergence of these new occupations.

The new jobs can be fitted into three broad groupings. In some incidences, there will be new jobs in emerging fields that include pollution control, energy conservation, waste management, renewable energy and many more.

For example, the creation of the Nova Scotia waste resource management strategy has not only redefined our notion of waste, it has created many new occupations and restructured others. There are now specialists who recycle electronics, manage the EnviroCentres and do a host of other new jobs.

A new, two-year program at the Nova Scotia Community College in Middleton is offering training for energy managers. Their first graduates from the Energy Sustainability Engineering Technology program are expected in another year.

In other situations, an existing job in one sector of the economy may be substituted for occupations in the same sector. For example, engineers and technicians who are working for the oil industry may find new opportunities in the renewable energy segment of the industry. They would be using essentially the same skills but applying them differently.

In the third group, current jobs will be redefined to reflect the new opportunities. Those involved in the primary industries of agriculture, forestry, and fishing will see many opportunities as these sectors move in different directions.

Many individuals involved in traditional agriculture are experiencing shrinking profits and markets. However, markets for organic farm products are growing by leaps and bounds and fetching premium prices.

While there is some similarity in skills, an organic farmer needs specialized expertise if they are to produce food without pesticides and a host of other chemical aids. Similarly, foresters and fishers are redefining their job skills.

If communities are going to be prepared for a low carbon future, planners, architects and developers are going to need to redefine their skills to respond to the challenges. Communities will be more compact and homes will need to be designed and built differently.

The Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act sets hard targets for Nova Scotia to move toward a green economy. The Act also recognizes that by achieving these objectives, Nova Scotia will be moving into the new economy and supporting the creation of the green jobs to which this international conference was dedicated. Green jobs are the future and the future is coming fast.

Comments are always welcome and can be addressed to stephenhawboldt@annapolisriver.ca

STEPHEN HAWBOLDT is with Clean Annapolis River Project.