How the higher education sector can accelerate the rise of green jobs

Climate change is driving humankind to radically transform the way we create energy. All around the world we are experiencing the unparalleled impacts of climate change, from flash floods, unprecedented hurricanes and wildfires to water and food shortages, droughts and compromised physical and mental health. Some of these factors have been known to lead to conflict and trigger the need for mass migration.

We’re currently at a unique moment in time where we must take urgent collective action to prevent irreversible climate-related catastrophe in years to come. The 2016 Paris Agreement, signed by 195 countries and the European Union, has given us a clear roadmap: we must limit global temperature increases to a maximum of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This means that global emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030 for us to reach net-zero by 2050. It’s a mammoth task that requires cross-sectoral and multinational collaboration. The higher education sector will also play an increasingly significant role.

In this article we will explore the rapid global rise of green and renewable-energy jobs, consider which countries are leading the charge in these jobs and what higher education institutions can and should be doing to help close the current skills gap and accelerate the energy transition. We’ll also look at IDP IQ data trends to see how demand for sustainability-related programs has changed.

According to The International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) 2024 review - Renewable Energy and Jobs - there are currently 16.2 million renewable energy jobs worldwide, which is a dramatic increase from 7.3 million in 2012. Green jobs will continue to rise substantially in years to come and a big challenge will be to address the labor market gap we are currently facing. The areas that are driving the highest number of jobs within renewable energy are solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, wind power, hydropower and bioenergy.

China is the dominant world leader in renewable energy jobs, claiming a staggering 46% of the global total. Over 7.2 million people in China are currently working in green industries, spearheaded by solar and wind power, and hydropower. Cited in the IRENA report, between 2014 and 2023 China invested almost three times as much as the United States and twice as much as Europe in renewables, contributing about 40% of gross domestic product growth in China in 2023.

In second place, the European Union trails far behind China with a total of 1.81 million green jobs, particularly in solar, followed by Brazil with 1.57 million jobs. In fourth and fifth position are the US with 1.06 million green jobs, predominantly in biofuels, onshore wind and solar PV, and India where 1.02 million people are employed in the sector.

Looking at the United Kingdom, the report states that wind power remains the leading source of renewable energy, followed by solar PV at about half the capacity of wind, but with annual deployment rising.

It’s clear that renewable energy is growing exponentially all around the world and that a well-skilled labor force will be needed to drive the transition forward. This is where the higher education sector comes in. Workers will increasingly transition from fossil fuel to renewable industries and will need reskilling. Additionally, professionals who work in certain trades can be upskilled, and prospective students should be encouraged and supported by institutions and governments to pursue programs that tackle climate change.

Addressing climate change is an obligation that falls on all of us. It’s not something that only governments or scientists can resolve in isolation, rather it must be approached holistically. Institutions have a responsibility to not only implement sustainable practices and strategies on their campuses, but to also actively promote and develop programs that will equip graduates with the skills and knowledge needed to drive the energy transition.

Here are other ways institutions can help drive the energy transition forward:

• Ensure that sustainability-focused programs are as relevant to industry needs as possible and promote the importance of these programs in relation to the labor market

• Align programs to specific industry needs and incorporate work-based learning to equip students with the hands-on experience and practical skills necessary for careers in renewable energy

• Integrate sustainability across a broad range of subject areas and courses

• Prioritize the professional development of lecturers and academics to ensure successful integration of sustainable thinking across the curricula

• Offer scholarships for sustainability-focused programs to encourage high quality applicants from a range of socio-economic backgrounds

• Introduce sustainability-focused scholarships aimed at women who currently only hold 24% of STEM positions in renewables (according to the IRENA report)

• Identify gaps in your portfolio for introducing more flexible programs aimed at professionals who need upskilling or reskilling to enter the renewable energy labor market

• Consider offering online programs focused on renewable energy and sustainability to widen access

“The energy transition will require a highly skilled workforce with advanced expertise in research, innovation and the development of pioneering renewable energy technologies. This calls for renewed investments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and training for both men and women.” – Excerpt from the above-mentioned IRENA report.

It is however important to recognize that the energy transition requires a broad range of jobs that stretch far beyond the traditional STEM subjects. Politicians, policy makers, lawyers, economists, tourism professionals, builders and farmers all need sustainable-thinking skills. Marketers, writers, and liberal arts professionals are needed to effectively communicate the urgency of addressing climate change. Project managers and customer service professionals are also needed, as well as more specialized roles such as equipment manufacturers, mathematicians, engineers, designers, product developers and equipment installers. Sustainable thinking skills and knowledge are essential across almost all industries and sectors.

Institutions should identify these gaps and endeavor to fill them. A good practical example is referenced in the IRENA report in which a Brazilian labor union collaborated with local institutions and technical schools to address the skills gap in the solar energy sector. The collaboration led to institutions developing specialized training modules covering everything from basic installation to advanced design and maintenance. This collaboration is enhancing the employability of workers but also ensures that the solar energy sector has access to skilled workers.

Using our IQ data subscription tools - collectively tracking 100m annual visits to our global student websites - we’re able to analyze in real-time what the most searched-for subject areas and sub-disciplines are.

Firstly, looking at overall subject area demand from November 2023-November 2024 for key English-speaking study destinations, we can see that Applied and Pure Sciences, and Engineering and Technology are in the top 5 of most searched-for subject areas. Both these subject areas are STEM-focused and central to the energy transition.

Interestingly, when looking at the top subject areas for Chinese prospective students only, Applied and Pure Sciences has the highest market share.

Considering the same date range, but for overall demand for Engineering and Technology combined with Applied and Pure Sciences, we can see that Biology is the most searched-for sub-discipline, Environmental Sciences the third, followed by Civil Engineering and General Engineering and Technology, all sub-disciplines with a clear link to the energy transition.

Institutions have a unique and important role to play in the energy transition. Cross-sectoral collaboration is vital for ensuring that labor market needs are met in the most effective ways possible, sustainability-focused programs should be actively promoted, and integration across curricula should be prioritized. Addressing climate change is a complex, and multi-layered process. Institutions are however uniquely positioned to equip students with the skills and knowledge they will need across a range of subject areas to drive the energy transition forward successfully.