The environment sector continues to grow rapidly in Canada. Nearly 173,000 positions will be available by 2025, according to ECO Canada. Here is an overview of the most promising professions.
EnviroCompétences, the sectoral labor committee for the environment, sees the future of green jobs in a good light. And for good reason. “25 years ago, finding a job as a sustainable development advisor, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, illustrates the organization’s executive director, Dominique Dodier. Now almost every large company has a department. And because of the scarcity of manpower, Quebec companies are currently snapping up all environmental workers, she adds.
According to ECO Canada, the federal agency that promotes careers in the environment, about one in 26 Canadian workers worked in this sector in 2020. Employment could increase by 17% by 2025, while total employment in the country will grow by 5.4% during the same period.
It is true that adapting to climate change will create new trades and professions. Decarbonization — a process of minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reduce the carbon footprint — will create employment for advisors in this field. Indeed, the Quebec government is investing nearly $1.2 billion in its Green Hydrogen and Bioenergy Strategy.
Energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, circular economy, biodiversity and clean technologies are just some of the sectors of the future in the environment. Thus, mechanics for whom electric vehicles no longer hold any secrets will be in high demand, and experts in noise pollution could emerge, believes Dominique Dodier.
Nothing is lost, nothing is created
The circular economy being popular, companies will therefore need consultants to help companies make better choices for both raw materials and product development.
In addition, the 3Rs — reduce, reuse and recycle — will create jobs. “All kinds of small organizations will do recycling, reuse, repair. Instead of throwing things away, we give them a second life. It will be the development of a whole new economy,” predicts Dominique Dodier.
Valorists, who breathe new life into discarded objects, will have a role to play in this new social economy. Sorting centers will also see their staff increase. “Better sorting of materials at the source gives great initiatives in recycling and transformation,” she adds.
Sustainable construction and mobility
The building and transportation sectors, two major GHG emitters both in Quebec and worldwide, will be called upon to change. New standards, particularly with respect to insulation and building envelopes or materials, will force the construction industry to adapt.
Energy efficiency experts should therefore not be unemployed, according to Dominique Dodier. Analysts capable of proposing solutions to improve building performance will be required. Architects will have to think about their profession differently in order to design sustainable projects. This redefinition will also affect all construction trades.
The latter will have their work cut out for them, since construction sites in Quebec produce some three million tonnes of residual materials, of which less than 1% is reused, according to the organization Architecture sans frontières Québec.
The transition to sustainable mobility in Quebec should also create a multitude of green jobs. A golden opportunity for electrical technicians, electronics technicians and mechanical engineers, in particular.
“Sustainable mobility involves urban densification,” emphasizes Robert Dubé, President and CEO of Atout Recrutement, a firm specializing in the environment. We will need urban planners to review the developments. And we will turn to civil engineers, among others, to succeed in the electrification of public transport.
Greening jobs everywhere
Citizens, increasingly aware of the fate of the planet, are putting pressure on companies to adopt responsible practices. “More companies are drawing up their climate report. They therefore call on experts to quantify their GHG emissions,” explains Robert Dubé.
Jobs are not limited to the environment sector itself. “We are talking today about greening professions”, he observes, specifying that the effervescence is felt in all sectors of economic activity. New positions, often related to expertise and consulting, are appearing to help companies reduce their impact on the environment, in particular sustainable development advisers.
Protect biodiversity
Adaptation to climate change has an impact on biodiversity and this contributes to a renewed interest for biologists. “I have many requests to work on wildlife and scientific inventories,” says recruiter Robert Dubé.
Geologists, hydrogeologists, erosion risk monitors, conservation technicians and oceanographers are also on the front line to protect flora and fauna.
Faced with the panoply of jobs available in the environment, Dominique Dodier invites young people to get informed. The EnviroCompétences site is full of videos and articles to find out more. “The sector has about 125 trades and professions in Quebec, but it remains unknown. However, working in the environment means joining your values to the health of the planet. It’s about applying your beliefs on a daily basis. »
The environment in Quebec is:
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