Why people are quitting their jobs to help fight the climate crisis

Forget reusable coffee cups or avoid air travel to reduce your carbon footprint.

For some, the fight against climate change starts with their careers, and a growing number of American workers are leaving their current jobs for the sake of the environment.

A new type of activism

In a recent survey of 4,000 US and UK employees by climate activist and former Unilever CEO Paul Polman, 51% of US employees said they would consider quitting if their company values did not match theirs. Another third said they had already quit for this reason, and that figure rose to 44% for Gen Z and Gen Y employees.

Take the perfect example of Eugene Kirpichov, a former Google staffer who has since launched the nonprofit Work on Climate. In a viral social media post, Kirpichov revealed that he was leaving his job as a software engineer at the tech giant after seven and a half years.

"The scale, urgency and tragedy of climate change are so immense that I can no longer justify working on anything else, no matter how interesting or lucrative, until may it be resolved," he wrote.

Hire Consciously

Despite the fact that only 60% of organizations have sustainability strategies in place, jobs in sustainability are on the rise as companies increasingly take steps to implement policies environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria not only to satisfy investors, but also to motivate them. their employees, boost productivity and also attract new talent.

Industries that were formally dependent on fossil fuels are also adapting: electric vehicles are expected to be one of the largest employment sectors, and clean energy is also expected to provide new roles for 16 million workers: estimates that to reach net zero emissions by 2050, the world will need to create 14 million clean energy jobs.

Go green

But is it easy or difficult to move into an eco-friendly career? There has been an increase in demand for green skills in jobs not traditionally considered green, including software engineering and data science. It is estimated that the demand for green talent will soon exceed the supply, meaning those with green skills will be in high demand.

Soft skills such as the ability to think creatively and critically, resilience, empathy and communication are also increasingly important when it comes to green jobs and employers are actively seeking candidates who list a variety of soft skills among their qualifications.

So if the climate shutdown is calling your name and you're ready to take the plunge to steer your career in a greener direction, VentureBeat's Job Board offers hundreds of opportunities at companies that are boosting their efforts significantly and tangibly. , like the three below.

Reporting to the ESG Director, the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Coordinator will be responsible for developing metrics to track the performance of all ESG projects and activities. You will also provide event support to the ESG Committee, Inclusion and Diversity Council and other designated committees and participate in events such as Colorado Gives Day and Dollars for Doers, Money for Movers. Candidates should have excellent organizational skills, strong project management skills and the ability to exercise independent and sound judgment in handling confidential and sensitive information. See more details here.f

Asset & Wealth Management ESG Risk-Executive Director, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Columbus

As an Executive Director of Asset and Wealth Management (AWM) Risk specializing in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Investing,...