Growing the Green Collar Economy

Growing the Green Collar Economy: Skills and labour challenges in reducing our greenhouse emissions and national environmental footprint.

The main report by the CSIRO was commissioned by DSF and released jointly with the Australian Conservation Foundation.

It explores the skills, innovation and employment dimensions of the transition to a more environmentally sustainable society, with a particular focus on the challenges involved in achieving deep cuts in greenhouse emissions.

Using two different economic models, the CSIRO found:

  • If Australia takes significant action to cut greenhouse gas emissions national employment will still increase by between 2.5 million and 3.3 million over the next two decades.
  • Jobs in high environmental impact areas like transport, construction, agriculture, manufacturing and mining are forecast to grow strongly in the next decade.
  • In high environmental impact industries 3.25 million workers will need to be equipped with new, more sustainable skills.

Listen to the radio interview on ABC AM Program
Read the The World Today story: Carbon market will need skilled ‘green collar’ job
Read the ABC News article: ‘Green collar’ revolution requires radical action: CSIRO

June 2008

icon CSIRO Report (1.07 MB)
icon Executive Summary (2.18 MB)
icon Media Release (231.76 kB)
icon Case Studies – Duncan MacGregor (565.37 kB)
icon Case Studies – Mark Branson (2.54 MB)

 

Authors:

  • The Allen Consulting Group
  • CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems