Unlocking the power of education for a net-zero future

The climate crisis and the mission to reach net zero are issues that leaders across sectors, from politics to industry to non-profits, are all grappling with. But it will be the workers of tomorrow who will need to see the transformations through – delivering what has been started and finding new innovative solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.

For today’s young people, education can equip them to thrive in this new greener working world. For the existing workforce – whose current roles will inevitably evolve and may even be phased out in the energy transition – ongoing education will be a tool for empowerment, unlocking new opportunities. Whether for future recruits or veteran workers, we need educational models suited to a time of huge change.


 
The green jobs boom

Much of the conversation around the climate crisis focuses on the scale of the challenge, but there is reason for excitement. The energy transformation is not just about ending or curtailing certain industries; it is about implementing more sustainable ways of going about our lives, including improving the way we provide the products and services that we need to live and enjoy life.

This means creating new sectors, with new jobs – including jobs that may never have existed before. Millions of roles are expected to be created in the coming decades: in the USA alone, an estimated 14% of all jobs will be in the green economy as soon as 2030.

There is, clearly, high demand for a workforce to power the transition to net zero, but how do we ensure workers are adequately prepared for this new world of work? We need to equip them with a range of green skills and expertise – the technical abilities and values necessary for low-emissions industries. 

Learning, upskilling, and retraining for future success

We’re beginning to see this in action. In the UAE for instance, the education ministry has launched a greening education roadmap, embedding sustainability into curricula, teacher training, extracurricular activities, and community outreach. The UAE is not alone. Green skills are being integrated into national school curricula across the world, from the UK to Sweden and Japan. 

Ambitious extracurricular programs are also taking shape, such as the UAE's partnership with IRENA to create the NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator (NewGen). Now in its third year, the program highlights and rewards youth-led sustainable innovations. But it’s not just new workers we need to consider. The energy transition could result in the loss of around 6 million jobs worldwide.

That’s a lot of people who will need to find new ways to earn a living. By reskilling or upskilling, we can ensure that everyone benefits from new industries.

One example of future-proofing careers through education is the Green Skills for a Green Economy training course. Devised and launched as a partnership between Deloitte and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), it is designed for the existing workforce, offering a way to boost green credentials and find new opportunities in the climate sector. Programs like these will be essential to ensure no one is left behind.


 
The role of AI
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Technology is also transforming both the way we learn and the skills in demand in the growing green economy. Artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, is reshaping learning environments and workplaces – and has a key role to play as we pave the road to net zero.

AI will certainly automate and ultimately replace some roles, but it will also open up new areas of work. Mastering new digital tools can help us build resilience to the impacts of climate change – from deploying sophisticated tools to map Earth’s systems, to harnessing machine learning for designing and optimizing the energy systems of the future. 

Meanwhile, interactive digital tools can facilitate hands-on learning, from the classroom to the engine room and the boardroom, as well as engagement and modelling, deepening our understanding of Earth's changing natural systems.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that half the emissions reductions needed to reach net zero come from technologies not yet on the market. We need, therefore, ambitious and adaptable educational approaches which will enable people – young and old – to transform complex real-world and digital systems, wielding new tools to take on future challenges.

Collaboration is key

Changing the way we educate the future workforce is no easy task. There is also the challenge of making education systems work in different contexts, to ensure they are suited to different economic, geographic, and cultural realities.

Working together across sectors is vital for success. An integrated approach to education, where government labor experts work with industry to identify and understand skills gaps in the green economy, allows these insights to be fed into decision making in the education sector. Multistakeholder partnerships such as the Energy Transition Education Network, launched by IRENA with the support of the UAE, are helping to connect institutions at the forefront of both education and energy to supercharge the transition. Collaboration between green businesses and higher education institutes can help ensure courses are designed with practical applications in mind, as well as the important theory.

Crucially, we need to think beyond young people and tailor lifelong opportunities for learning. The pace of change required in the race to net zero is unprecedented, providing both urgency and opportunity for reskilling across sectors and career paths.

Learning our way to net zero

The workforce of the future will need to combine knowledge across disciplines, collaborate across sectors, adapt to new technologies, and innovate even newer, better ones. The seeds of the future are planted in our schools, universities, and centers of adult learning. It's time to nourish them.

To learn more about education and net zero, watch this episode of the ADSW Series, bringing together thought leaders from IRENA, the World Economic Forum, and Dubai Cares.