As technology companies shed jobs and workers look for more fulfilling ways to make a buck, new job boards and placement organizations want folks to consider working with startups to save the planet.
Over the last few years sites like Climatebase, Climate Draft, Terra.do and MCJ Collective have built job boards, education sites, and media companies that are trying to fill roles in the still-growing world of climate tech startups.
"The time is now and the climate crisis is not waiting, nor will it fix itself," said Anshuman Bapna, co-founder and CEO of Terra.do. "We are on the precipice of real change—both the industry and talent have woken up to the impacts of the crisis and the hard work that is required. Opportunities abound in every corner of the world and within every aspect of society."
Terra.do just announced a new app to connect would-be job seekers with hiring professionals at companies like Pachama, Afresh, and Voltus.
There's growing demand for employees in climate businesses -- and these jobs aren't just restricted to engineers, programmers or highly skilled technicians.
As funding becomes available for programs through the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year, more cash will flow to green businesses. That's the word from local politicians like Greenville, Miss., Mayor Errick D. Simmons.
"They're coming down the line," Simmons, co-chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, told WorkingNation in an interview last month. "They exist somewhat, but the bipartisan infrastructure law is providing millions and billions of dollars for clean jobs, green jobs, and has a focus on climate resilience and creating more equitable and sustainable communities. I think you're gonna start seeing a ripple effect."
The need for more workers in climate tech jobs coincides with job-seekers looking for work that can be more meaningful.
A 2021 Gartner study on the Great Resignation found that the COVID-19 pandemic made 56 percent of American employees want to contribute more to society, as Terra.do noted in a statement. Meanwhile, the PwC State of Climate Tech 2021 report shows that climate tech now accounts for 14 cents of every venture capital dollar, leading to inevitable talent shortages.
"The climate crisis will require every aspect of our economy to transform and incorporate sustainability, resulting in the emergence of the climate economy," said Anjali Bansal, founder and chairperson of Avaana Capital (the firm which just led a $5 million investment into Terra.do). "The current talent funnel for climate- and sustainability-trained professionals is broken, creating a large gap that will need to be filled at Internet scale."
Comments