February Coro's Careers

The Silver Lining in a Dark Cloud

by Coro Strandberg

Many of us are uneasy as we watch economic indicators and wonder whether we’ll be able to regain the economic ground we lost last year. However, despite reports of rising unemployment, plummeting house prices, and a sputtering stock market, there is a silver lining found in the commitments that are burgeoning around a “green” economy. Indeed, this emerging transformation is the talk of many people in sustainability circles who are speculating whether the financial crisis is a boon or a barrier to the green economy.

Most believe that green investing is the tonic for our ailments. With this perspective, they see talk of “fiscal stimulus” and “jump-starting the economy” not as purely economic initiatives, but as catalysts for more sustainable communities. In the U.S., for example, the reality of rising unemployment and the new Obama administration’s plans for job creation has sustainability advocates pushing for job strategies that will green up traditional sectors like construction, manufacturing, operations, and maintenance. The dream is for these jobs to offset job losses to date, thereby fostering not only a green economy, but a more socially just economy that doesn’t leave the unemployed behind. Leading analysts are even mapping out career paths and skills-sets for this new order.

So while we may be uneasy wondering how the financial crisis will affect our pocketbooks, those who care about the sustainability of civilization on a healthy planet can be heartened by the opportunities the crisis creates. These are the green jobs of our dreams coming to a community near you.

Coro Strandberg is a sustainability specialist. She provides advisory, research, and facilitation services to organizations on integrating sustainability into business strategy and operations. corostrandberg.com