Today’s employer advice is from Jamie Alexander, Director, Drawdown Labs at Project Drawdown.
Q: Tell us about your organization.
- Project Drawdown is the world’s leading resource for climate solutions. Our mission is to help the world reach “Drawdown”— the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change — as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.
- For more information, explore Project Drawdown’s website and our new six part video series Climate Solutions 101, and Climate Solutions at Work, our new employee guide to the drawdown-aligned business.
Q: What advice would you give to people in midlife who want to transition to a green job?
- As a starting point, ask yourself if you can make a positive impact where you are already employed rather than seeking out a “green job.” As a mid-career professional, you may have a powerful opportunity to influence the company or organization (and even the broader industry) where you work. Project Drawdown recently released, Climate Solutions at Work, a guide to help employees push their companies to take meaningful climate action and make their job a “climate job”. There is a common misconception that you need “climate” or “sustainability” in your job title in order to take important climate action, but that is far too limiting. To scale climate solutions and decarbonize the entire economy in this pivotal decade, every job must become a climate job.
- As you pursue a “green job” (or “green” the job you already have), consider how that job relates to goals of social and economic justice. Achieving a stable climate and sustainable relationship with the earth is contingent on addressing deep-rooted inequality and injustice. These intertwined issues share a common root. Initiatives will always be more powerful, inclusive and effective if they address injustice and climate change in tandem.
Q: What are the skills that you believe will be required most in the short-medium term in your industry?
- As mentioned above, there is likely an opportunity to employ the expertise and skills you already possess to scale the climate solutions we have at hand.
- To work at an environmental NGO, such as Project Drawdown, important skills include:
- Subject area expertise (climate-change, ecology, climate policy, environmental economics).
- A clear understanding of climate change in the context of global inequality and colonialism.
- Passion for building a better world.
- Clear writing and communication skills.
- Fluency on various technology platforms (Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Slack, Adobe, InDesign, etc).
- Adept in data analysis (bonus)
- Adept in multimedia production (bonus)
For more relevant information
- LinkedIn (a partner of Drawdown Labs) has an increasing number of job-groups focused on climate change and the environment, such as the green jobs network.
- Renewable Energy World
- Investing in Renewable Energy
- Renewable Energy & Environment group
- Climate Change Professionals Group
- Climate Change Professionals
- Climate Change, Sustainability and Green Marketing
- Climate Change Mitigation in Agriculture
- Tennessee Association of Environmental Professionals
- Global Environmental Governance
- Also it’s worth checking out Karin Kimbrough’s blog (Chief Economist at LinkedIn), where she writes about the latest news on green jobs, and includes lots of useful data for potential green-job seekers!
- Other great resources that you might consider using on your site, or inquiring about for expert testimonials: