What Are Top Climate Jobs Today?

Written By Teacher: Elizabeth Ward

My name is Elizabeth Ward. I am a former Early Childhood, Elementary, and English as a Foreign Language educator. I have taught third grade Science and Social Studies as well as Kindergarten in both urban and rural Oklahoma public schools. I taught online EFL to students of all ages in China for four years. I also have experience in curriculum development and content design for teachers in the physical and digital classroom. As a former teacher I have a passion for supporting teachers and making their jobs easier. I currently live in the greater Houston area with my husband and four dogs. 

The growing focus on climate solutions is creating new career opportunities across multiple industries, from renewable energy to policy and research. Understanding these employment trends helps students connect their skills and interests to real-world climate action. This topic encourages discussions about the diverse roles available in sustainability, technology, and environmental advocacy, helping students see how they can contribute to a greener future. Explore the topic of Green Careers further by watching this documentary from Climate Generation or reading this article from New York DEP.

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

The “green jobs” are coming. As the world races to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and build a clean energy economy, forecasters have predicted a huge number of jobs will be created in fields related to sustainability and climate. Jason Jay, senior lecturer and director of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, says a wide variety of roles and careers will fall under this umbrella.

Most obviously, a clean energy economy will create work for people with technical certifications and backgrounds. The construction of wind turbines, the installation of home solar panels, and the design of electric vehicles are just a few examples of spaces where electrical, construction, and manufacturing experts will be in high demand. So will traditional construction workers who will pour the concrete for wind turbines or build roads out to far-flug solar farms.