Imagine a world where your job doesn’t just earn you a pay cheque, but also helps clean the air, reduce waste, and fight climate change. As India commits to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and scaling up renewable energy, green jobs are emerging as a cornerstone of both economic recovery and environmental responsibility.
But for this transition to succeed, India must overcome deep-rooted challenges, ranging from climate literacy gaps to policy fragmentation, skill mismatches, and implementation issues in government schemes.
What Are Green Jobs?
To understand the role green jobs can play in India's future, we must first unpack what they are.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), green jobs are defined as decent work that contributes to environmental sustainability, whether through conserving natural resources, reducing pollution, or adapting to climate change.
In simpler terms, green jobs:
- Improve energy and raw material efficiency,
- Limit greenhouse gas emissions,
- Minimise waste and pollution,
- Protect and restore ecosystems,
- Support climate adaptation.
These roles align environmental protection with job creation and social inclusion. India is at a critical crossroads with its economy. While the country boasts rapid economic growth and a young workforce, it also faces rising unemployment, environmental degradation, and increasing vulnerability to climate change. Green jobs can deliver a triple dividend: Economic Growth, Social Equity, and Environmental Sustainability.
In India’s context, where a young population meets an urgent need for sustainability, green jobs can become the bridge between economic aspiration and ecological responsibility
Why policy, education, and training systems must evolve fast
Realising the full potential of green jobs requires more than ambition. India must address key barriers across three fronts: awareness, ability, and access.
Climate Literacy Deficit
A major barrier is low awareness of climate change and green careers, especially among students, teachers, and the public. According to Mongabay-India, the majority of the schools and colleges' curriculum does not effectively incorporate environmental sustainability, and green employment awareness is limited to specialised fields.
A World Bank blog highlights that although India’s youth are eager to work, only few are prepared for green careers due to outdated or limited education models. Climate change is often taught as an abstract science, not as a career opportunity or social challenge that demands practical solutions.
Recent surveys underscore this gap:
- The Allianz Climate Literacy Survey 2023 found that only 7.9% of respondents across eight countries, including India, demonstrated high climate literacy, while 48.2% had low climate literacy levels.
- A baseline study by CAG in Tamil Nadu revealed that only 13.2% of respondents knew the energy sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and less than 6% were aware of state climate initiatives.
These findings highlight the urgent need to enhance climate education and awareness to prepare the workforce for green jobs.
Gaps in Skills, Policies and Training
India has the potential to create over 50 million green jobs by 2070. However, the current education and training systems are not prepared to meet this demand. The report titled “Gearing Up the Workforce for a Green Economy” highlights several key issues. India could generate 35 million green jobs by 2047, but progress is held back by unclear policies, limited funding, and a lack of inclusivity. Only 35% of urban youth were able to identify a green job or knew how to access relevant training. The main challenges include that green skills policies are fragmented and poorly aligned. There is a shortage of training centres, particularly in rural areas. Many people lack awareness of green career options and pathways. Women, rural youth, and informal workers are often excluded. Green jobs are not formally recognised, which makes them harder to regulate and support.
India has made strides to promote green education and employment through several initiatives. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 integrates sustainability into curricula. Mission LiFE encourages eco-friendly lifestyles. The Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) develops industry-specific training programs. The 2022 Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act and updated waste management rules promote cleaner industrial practices. Sustainable energy policies like those promoting solar, wind, and bioenergy not only cut emissions but also generate jobs across the clean energy value chain. They create opportunities for youth and transitioning workers in manufacturing, installation, and rural energy services.
Internationally, India has committed to reducing emissions intensity by 45% by 2030, achieving 50% electricity generation from non-fossil sources, and collaborating with LeadIT to decarbonise heavy industries.
What’s missing is that schools and colleges lack guidance and resources for practical climate education. Climate financing for green skill development remains insufficient. Most training programs are urban-centric, leaving rural populations behind. Weak coordination across ministries results in fragmented policy implementation.
Inclusion gaps persist. Women form only 11% of the renewable energy workforce. Informal workers lack training, protection, and career pathways. Rural youth face geographical and infrastructural barriers to training programs.
The Way Forward: Bridging the Gaps
For India’s green transition to be effective, it must be people-driven.. We must urgently invest in education, training, and equity to ensure that these match the ambition of our policies. To truly leverage the green jobs boom, India must integrate climate education into school and university curricula in practical, career-linked ways. It must expand green vocational programs with hands-on training and industry collaboration. Additionally, there is a need to create financing tools and incentives for green entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Promoting multi-stakeholder platforms to align national and local green job strategies is essential. Inclusive hiring in green sectors must be promoted with a gender and caste equity lens. Furthermore, it is crucial to strengthen inter-ministerial coordination to streamline policies across education, labour, environment, energy, and rural development.
Green jobs aren’t just about saving the planet, they’re about creating a future where people and the planet thrive together. But India’s climate literacy crisis, skills mismatch, and inclusion gaps threaten progress.
With strong policies and global partnerships already in place, the next step is clear: empower every citizen, especially the underserved, to access and thrive in the green economy.
India stands at a pivotal moment. By investing in climate education, inclusive training, and coordinated policies, we can unlock millions of livelihoods while safeguarding our planet. The transition is inevitable, the question is whether we will lead it with purpose and preparation.
Add new comment