PETALING JAYA: Apart from pushing the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, green jobs can also help to reduce unemployment, according to an academic.
In fact, green jobs are becoming increasingly popular, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia provost and CEO Mushtak Al-Atabi, who is also an expert in renewable energy, told FMT Business.
“It also offers a wide variety of career opportunities,” he added.
Green jobs, by their nature, contribute to the preservation of the environment, limit greenhouse gas emission and minimise waste and pollution.
Among them are jobs in renewable energy, carbon capture and storage as well as carbon trading.
Mushtak said green jobs could also be more lucrative and more secure as they come with global employment opportunities.
“However the green economy requires highly skilled talent (who expect) high wages,” he said.
In April, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) revealed that the unemployment rate continued to drop in February. It recorded 591,900 unemployed persons, down from 596,100 in January.
In March, investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said meeting ESG requirements would be included in the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030).
Mushtak cited a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency which revealed that an increasing number of countries were creating jobs in the renewable energy sector.
According to the report, the sector could see more than 38 million employed by 2030.
Meanwhile, the International Labour Organization has predicted that the greening of the global economy would create 24 million additional jobs, he said.
“The signs point to the fact that green jobs are the way to go and Malaysia should get on this bandwagon,” he added.
Mushtak said green jobs could also help to spur interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently called for a taskforce to be established to tackle the waning interest in science and technology among children in rural areas as well as among the urban poor.
Last year, then education minister Radzi Jidin said there was a need to arrest the decline in student performance in these subjects.
“Those with the right skills especially in STEM will be able to find work in this growing field and help to ensure that businesses and individuals make the most of the opportunities in the green economy,” Mushtak added.
Everyone’s job can be a green job
Data from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report shows that hiring for green roles outpaced the overall hiring rate globally four years in a row.
Roles such sustainability analyst, sustainability specialist and sustainability manager feature in LinkedIn’s list of the fastest growing roles globally over the last four years.
However Rohit Kalsy, country manager for Malaysia and head of emerging markets in Southeast Asia at LinkedIn told FMT Business that organisations should not just think about green talent in these conventional roles.
“Instead they can also continue to encourage green hiring by ensuring that every job incorporates some form of green skills, even jobs that are not traditionally green in nature,” he said.
Rohit gave the example of architects, for whom green skills will enable them to design more sustainable and eco-friendly buildings.
Professionals in other “non-green” jobs can also pick up these skills, Rohit said.
For instance, sustainability reporting is a skill that may be required by financial accountants to assess the returns on investment of sustainability projects, cost savings from resource conservation, and potential risks or opportunities related to sustainability factors, he said.
“Investing in green skills offers professionals an opportunity to future-proof their careers and find new roles in a more challenging economic climate,” Rohit said.
Meanwhile, senior human resources consultant Srithren Krishnan also agreed that green jobs can be integrated into existing roles.
For example waste collectors can make the transition to recycling, creating high-value new methods or processes.
For instance, 60% of materials now used in the Mercedes Benz is recycled, Srithren said.
He said green jobs also contribute to job satisfaction for employees.
“Many employees find fulfilment in knowing that their work is making a positive impact on Mother Earth and to our future generations,” he added.
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2023/06/09/malaysia-should-jump-on-the-green-jobs-bandwagon-says-expert/