About Green Jobs in BC

Green jobs are occupations that directly work with policies, information, materials, and/or technologies that contribute to minimizing environmental impact, and require specialized knowledge, skills, training, or experience in these areas. Technically speaking, in a green and fully sustainable economy, all occupations would have elements of "green".

The bulk of green jobs in BC are not new occupations but are, for the most part, developing from existing occupations that are being re-tooled to help reduce the impact of humans on the environment, to promote sustainability, and to encourage the efficient use of energy and resources. An example would be an Automotive Technician whose skills are shifting to include more work with hybrid and electric vehicles.

Employment growth in green jobs can be directly linked to increased investment in efforts to improve the environment, reduce pollution, and lower GHG emissions through clean technologies and improved energy efficiency -- areas that have been receiving particular attention over the last decade and are resulting in a growing number of green jobs in BC.

In 2008, the green elements in BC's economy were responsible for generating nearly 166,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs -- 117,000 direct and 49,000 indirect -- equal to 7.2 percent of total provincial employment.

Source: GLOBE Foundation

 Figure: Direct full-time equivalent jobs in BC's green economy by sector in 2008.

While the Clean and Alternative Energy sector is the largest in terms of green GDP generation, other sectors of BC's green economy are more labour intensive and are therefore responsible for more jobs. As illustrated in the figure above, the Environmental Protection sector was responsible for approximately 32,700 direct FTE jobs in 2008, equivalent to more than one-quarter (28 percent) of all green jobs in the province.

The Energy Management and Efficiency sector was the second largest in terms of employment in the province's green economy, responsible for approximately 24,800 direct FTE jobs in 2008 -- due in part to elements related to low-carbon and public transportation.

All occupational sectors contribute to greening the province's economy, although to varying degrees (see figure below). Trades, transport, equipment operators, and related occupations were responsible for more than one-quarter (27 percent) of the green occupations in BC in 2008 -- equal to more than 31,200 direct FTE jobs.

 Source: GLOBE Foundation (based on Statistics Canada 2006 Census)

Figure: BC's green labour force by occupational sector and number of direct full-time equivalent jobs in 2008 (click to enlarge).

Occupations in business, finance, and administration, as well as in natural and applied sciences, also ranked high in importance, making up approximately 17 percent and 15 percent of all direct green jobs, respectively.

In terms of specific occupations, green jobs in agriculture (which include farmers and farm managers, aquaculture operators, nursery and greenhouse operators, and landscaping and ground maintenance supervisors) ranked highest in number for BC's green economy -- equal to 13,000 direct FTE jobs in 2008 and making up 11 percent of all direct green jobs in the province.

Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences (which include scientists and researchers, engineers, forestry professionals, and architects) were second at 9,600 direct FTE jobs, equivalent to 8 percent of all direct green jobs in BC. Other important occupational categories include transportation equipment operators, technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences, construction trades, mechanics, and professional occupations in business and finance.

It is important to note that not all jobs in these occupational categories are counted; only the estimated proportion of those dedicated to green initiatives. For example, only farmers involved in organic and sustainable practices and architects involved in green building practices are counted.

British Columbia's green labour force is, on average, older than the province's labour force as a whole, with 44 percent being between the ages of 45 and 64 at the time of the last Census in 2006. By comparison, only 35 percent of BC's total labour force was between the ages of 45 and 64. This fact supports the reality that attrition (i.e. retirement) will open the door for many new green workers over the next decade. It will also require productivity levels to increase substantially in order to maintain BC's high living standards -- to do so, education, innovation, and skill-development will be essential.

A variety of new employment opportunities in BC are already emerging as the economy transitions toward a greener future. These include tidal power electrical engineers, wind and solar power technicians, wood pellet machine operators, sustainable energy managers, green real estate brokers, waste reduction consultants, GHG emissions verifiers, carbon trading market analysts, and hydrogen fuel cell researchers, to name a few. 

The world is also heading toward more universal environmental reporting practices and recognized standards and, along with this, will come the need for more training and people who understand the accountability side of carbon and resource management. There is also an enormous need for more educators to increase public understanding and acceptance of environmental initiatives in BC.

The range of opportunities to work in the green economy continues to expand and the ultimate size and scope of the green job market is still unknown. If current trends continue, the number of direct green jobs in BC by 2020 could grow to more than 200,000 -- a nearly 75 percent increase over the 2008 estimate. 

For more information on specific green jobs in BC, download the free Reference Guide to Green Jobs in BC by clicking on the Report link below.

Learn more about green education and training in BC

Green Job Downloads

• Report: Careers for a Sustainable Future: A Reference Guide to Green Jobs in BC (Sept. 2010)
• Report: Green Employer Survey Summary Report (Mar. 2010)