In recent years, everything related to sustainability and ESG policies (those related to the environment, the social sphere and good governance) has become a cross-cutting element of many companies’ strategies, rather than an issue that concerns only a small minority. In fact, 7 in 10 companies are hiring or planning to fill green jobs and skills, as noted in the report.Green jobs: sustainable business and employment trends‘ by Manpower. But even though 8 out of 10 companies are working on ESG strategies, 94% say they don’t have the skills needed to achieve their goals.
In this context, the demand for green profiles and skills is expected to increase exponentially, which could make it a major source of job creation in the next five years. In fact, the World Economic Forum’s predictions For these professionals, 30 million jobs could be created in the world before 2030 and envisages the urgency of accelerating skills development and reskilling processes. 6 in 10 professionals will need additional training before 2027 To respond to this new paradigm.
Behind this change in trend is the global struggle to combat climate change, which is becoming increasingly evident, as well as increasing demand from consumers and professionals, led by Generation Z, a particularly conscious group. So it is Almost half of consumers worldwide paid more to buy a sustainable product last yearAccording to the Institute for Business Value.
Governments, on the other hand, are legislating and financing measures that support sustainability. Without going any further, the EU recently expanded its Green Deal with a new Industrial Plan that includes, among other measures, an additional 225 billion euros.
Fabio Armari, Managing Director of Manpower Spainstates: “Beyond ManpowerGroup’s commitment to help 10,000,000 people in green jobs before 2030, we are moving in this direction specifically at Manpower because we know there is a challenge and opportunity for both companies and professionals in sustainability. In this report, we have compiled some key data that supports this theory, but there is an urgent need to mobilize upskilling and reskilling policies to respond to the demand that the market is already demanding, which will have more than 30 million profiles in the coming years.”.
Invest in developing green skills
So it’s no surprise that more than a third (35%) of listed companies have already committed to achieving net zero emissions targets. To do it, 70% of companies are hiring or planning to fill green jobs and skillsand the demand for these professionals goes well beyond the scope of sustainability. Other areas include technology and data (30%), sales and marketing (27%), engineering (26%), management (25%) or human resources (25%).
Closing the current gap in the search for green skills will be vital for organizations, as this imbalance could have a negative impact of up to 21% on company results, according to data from consultancy firm Accenture.