LinkedIn: Demand for green jobs tripled in the UK in 2019

The green job market is flourishing in the UK, according to new research from LinkedIn that claims that demand for sustainability professionals rose by a third in 2019.

Research released today by the professional networking site suggests the number of sustainability professionals in the UK grew by 12 per cent last year - outstripping global average growth of 7.5 per cent, but lagging behind a pan-European year-on-year increase of 13 per cent.

Moreover, London is a breeding ground for green careers, according to the findings, with the sixth-highest concentration of sustainability professionals in the world, after Stockholm, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Zurich, and Vancouver.

Josh Graff, UK country manager at LinkedIn, said it was "reassuring" to see so many professionals in the UK opt for careers in sustainability as the country works towards meeting its long term climate goals.

"As the UK increases its focus on lowering emissions and with an ambition to hit climate neutrality by 2050, we have seen a rise in the number of people pursuing green careers," he said. "With the breadth of sustainability roles and skills available, it's encouraging to see an increasing number of businesses and professionals looking to make a positive difference to people, society and the planet."

'Data analysis' is the fastest-growing 'core skill' touted by sustainability professionals on their LinkedIn profiles, with a year-on-year increase of 18 per cent, LinkedIn noted.

Other "sustainability-specific skills" that are increasingly attached to green professionals' online profiles are expertise in 'circular economy', 'corporate sustainability', and 'environmental monitoring'.

However, despite an encouraging upward trend for the UK's green economy - also confirmed by the Office National Statistics latest annual update on jobs in the low-carbon and renewable sector - experts have warned that current figures are a far cry from the exponential growth required to fully decarbonise the British economy by 2050.

While the number of full-time jobs created by the low carbon and renewable sector ticked up slightly from 219,000 in 2017 to 224,800 in 2018, according to the ONS, the Trade Union Congress and Business in the Community warned in January that a rapid uptick in green job creation is urgently required.

Moreover, fears are now widespread that the economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus outbreak could hamper green employment prospects for months to come.

LinkedIn said that after the environmental services and renewable energy sectors, the professional areas boasting the largest number of green professionals were architecture and planning, civil engineering, utilities, international affairs, and farming.

The company parsed data collected from its members between January and December 2019 to reach its conclusions, with today's publication timed to coincide with Earth Day. A 'sustainability professional' was defined as a someone with any of the following job titles: sustainability advisor, sustainability consultant, corporate responsibility manager, sustainability intern, director of sustainability, corporate social responsibility manager, sustainable development manager, sustainability coordinator, sustainability analyst, sustainability manager, or sustainability specialist.

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