Green Energy = Jobs

According to a recent UN report, green energy will create about 20 million jobs over the next few decades. In a time when the job market is slumping (especially in states like Michigan), that’s good news.

At the same time, I think this stat is a little misleading. Although, for example, a company producing solar panels may be hiring in greater numbers, “dirty” jobs will continue to decline. So, we’re not looking completely at 20 ADDITIONAL jobs. Some of these jobs will be instead of jobs at, for example, coal mines or oil drilling companies.

Still, there are green jobs being created that aren’t essentially replacing non-green jobs. For example, many companies are hiring green consultants for audits or full-time employees who have the sole purpose of making sure that the company is being as green as possible with energy usage.

Should you hire a green employee?

Major companies can easily afford to hire green consultants (or full time green employees), but if you’re a small- to mid-sized company, is it worth the cost, or should you go green on your own? Here’s my advice:

• If you are a small company dealing with a “dirty” industry, a green consultant can help you. For example, a small cleaning company or small extermination company might benefit from hiring a green consultant to get on the right track, as taking the time to find all of the eco-friendly products you need on your own will take a long time.
• If you are a small company not dealing with a dirty industry (for example, if you run an independent bookstore), you probably can save yourself the expense and go green on your own. A consultant won’t tell you anything you can’t find yourself on the Internet.
• If you are a mid-sized company (say, 100+ employees), you’ll likely benefit from a green consultant or special green training over a few days for your employees. This depends on your industry, but unless you really have your thumb on the pulse of the green world, it is usually time and cost efficient to hire someone.

I’d like to note that some mid-sized companies might want to consider a full- or part-time green employee (ie, someone hired specifically to keep your products or services as eco-friendly as possible. This is definitely a big expense, but if you work in one of those dirty industries like I was talking about, you’ll get your money’s worth.