Environmental Jobs
Too many people aspire to working in the environmental jobs sector but many do not actually have a firm understanding of what is involved in this growing market. Following the introduction of the Green Jobs Act, it seems clear that there is more to this industry than the usual science related roles concerned with just conservation.
A brief search online shows that discussions surrounding green jobs actually date back over 20 years. However, these discussion were mostly about the conservation type of jobs mentioned above. It was not until the mid 2000s that the environmental jobs sector really exploded and a much broader range of careers became available. Nowadays you can barely move without seeing references to sustainable policies, carbon footprints and government proposals for green economies - and it is this that has bought about a great demand for green jobs.
The sector has now evolved into a broad range of jobs that include regulatory compliance, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. This means that to work in the green jobs sector, you no longer need to be a scientist or an engineer with a technical Masters degree. Instead, you can enjoy a fulfilling career in a range of fields such as project management, health and safety or any number of more office-based positions.
When you bear in mind that the term green job has evolved in recent years, it's not surprising that a definitive definition is difficult to find. Many versions are either very specific and only cover a very narrow range of jobs or they are broad and ambiguous.
Overall, probably the simplest way to look at it is that green jobs are essentially those that provide a product or service that contributes to the sustainability of energy resources and the overall environment.