Any Job Can Be a Green Job

YCCBC Insulators Work On A House.

What is a 'Green Job'?

Well, as we've found at Youth Climate Corps British Columbia (YCCBC), it can be many different things.

As YCCBC expands our operations across the province and brings on more employers and employees, we've also expanded our understanding of what makes a job 'green.' Of course, there are the obvious examples: sustainable agriculture, working in the clean energy sector, or a role in climate policy. But that's not where green jobs end.

Something we've learned over the past five years of running our programs is that the definition of a green job can be incredibly broad and is ever-expanding.

Examples Of A Non-Traditional Green Job

Take the trades, for example. Becoming a building insulator might not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of careers that tackle the climate crisis—but you’d be surprised. According to Ashley Duncan, president of B.C. Insulators Union Local 118, —a union YCCBC has recently partnered with—“As an insulator, by the end of the day, I have done more to save energy and lower carbon pollution than most do in a year.”

In fact, the building trades offer some of the most impactful, hands-on opportunities to contribute to a more sustainable future. Whether that's insulating buildings to reduce heat loss, retrofitting homes for energy efficiency, installing heat pumps, or upgrading public infrastructure, these jobs are an integral part of the green economy. But beyond supporting a low-carbon economy, they’re also critical to building climate-resilient cities and a climate-resilient province. As we face increasingly frequent and intense climate extremes, these roles become more and more essential.

But the trades aren’t the only place where this broader definition of a green job applies. Any role that strengthens community resilience in the face of the climate crisis can be considered a green job. This includes landscape gardeners who design with native plants and water conservation in mind, city planners who integrate green infrastructure into urban development, chefs who can source local, seasonal foods and reduce food waste, teachers who can integrate climate literacy into everyday lessons, and community workers who support emergency preparedness or food security initiatives. Within every sector, there is a need to have champions of change, reducing emissions, changing mental models and working towards a future that works for all of us.

What defines a green job isn’t just the industry it belongs to, but the positive impact it has on both the environment and the people within it. If a job helps reduce pollution, supports sustainable systems, or increases a community’s ability to adapt to climate change, then it’s a green job in our eyes.