Tomás Alberto Ávila
It is certainly no exaggeration to note that the label “green” has become ubiquitous. Underlying this prevalence is a substantial body of literature focused on all things green.
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This literature spans multiple disciplines (e.g., labor economics, engineering, environmental science) and is found in a variety of outlets ranging from the popular press to governmental reports to academic journals. The overall conclusion from this burgeoning domain is that the “greening” of our national economy is not only currently underway, but also that it should be met with concerted efforts to significantly increase both intellectual and financial capital investments. Numerous arguments for such amplified attention are frequently proffered to include issues of national security, environmental protection, climate change, and domestic job growth.
Enabling focused investment requires systematic study to better understand and define what it means to be “green.” The rush to jump on the “green” bandwagon has outpaced the development of a concept of what it actually means to be green. For example, consider the praise by the popular press of individuals “going green” by using recycled goods and reducing consumption, or specific companies by increasing energy efficiency, or municipalities offering grants for green residential construction projects (e.g., fitting homes with solar panels). In other words, green activities can range from choosing a specific brand of cleaning spray to installing a wind energy farm.
To determine the workforce ramifications of this vast array of green activities is a substantial undertaking. The first step is to focus the scope by developing a precise and bounded definition of what the green economy means in the context of jobs or occupations.
A thorough understanding of any job or occupation requires an understanding of the context in which these entities exist. One way to conceptualize the broader context of work is through an economic lens – in the present case, what is referred to as the green economy. Fortunately, there is a general consensus in the extant literature regarding the scope of the green economy, which is summarized in the definition below.
The green economy encompasses the economic activity related to reducing the use of fossil fuels, decreasing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the efficiency of energy usage, recycling materials, and developing and adopting renewable sources of energy
In support of these goals is a range of activities and strategies, including retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency, promoting usage of mass transit, producing energy-efficient automobiles, increasing the use of wind or solar power, and developing and producing cellulosic biomass fuels. The significant benefits of green economy activities are significant and described as both macroeconomic (e.g., investment in new technologies, greater productivity) and microeconomic (e.g., income growth, job growth). For instance, analysts concluded that renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies generated over 8 million new jobs and $970 billion in revenue in 2006 alone.
At the heart of green economy activities is technology. That is, technological innovations are what drive the many activities that comprise the green economy. For example, clean energy technologies use the sun, wind, water, and plant matter to produce electricity, heat, and transportation fuel. New green technology also spans a broad range of products, services and processes that lower performance costs, reduce or eliminate negative ecological impact, and improve the productive and responsible use of natural resources. Thus, understanding the development and application of various green technologies can help to depict the potential workforce implications of green economy activities.
