With businesses having to consider the impact of their entire value chain, the demand for skills is continuously evolving, with a notable increase in the need for workers adept at technological innovations, understanding of new energy systems, new processes, green chemistry and more. In addition, ambitious climate change mitigation policies will shift labour markets towards low-emission sectors like services, nature first products, circular economy models, and renewable energy, moving away from energy-intensive sectors. Consequently, there will be a decline in demand for skills related to operating and maintaining traditional equipment and tools, particularly in blue-collar and manufacturing sectors.
For India to be ready for the growth acceleration to a 10 trillion-dollar economy under Viksit Bharat, a green skills reboot is essential. For this, companies need to reskill not just the workforce but senior executives and Boards. Investment in education and training is crucial to ensure that the green transition is successful and inclusive, addressing the needs of both young people and the current workforce.
An important way in which firms can institutionalise sustainable behaviours and drive real impact across the organisation is through a sustainability learning approach. It is more than a collection of training programmes offered on a company’s learning management system. A well-structured program can help organisations chart out a unified vision and roadmap to institutionalise ESG knowledge and adoption, and drive scale on ESG actions with the entire organisation working towards the vision. To play their part in bringing about such a holistic and effective change, sustainability learning must focus on 3Cs – Capability, Communication, and Culture.
