Other green initiatives include decarbonising our energy sector, scaling up investments in water technologies, and generating new energy from waste through innovative technologies. There is also an increasing focus on sustainable finance, electrification of vehicles and agri-tech to advance Singapore’s sustainable development for a greener future.

With the government pushing for a low-carbon future and new green sectors, many businesses are ramping up their efforts to achieve sustainable growth through greener practices and work processes. The Green Economy involves enterprises that are restructuring and creating new business functions by shifting from environmentally harmful business activities to greener ones. A recent study has shown that more than nine in 10 business leaders agree that it is important to integrate sustainability into their organisation’s overall business strategy.

As the Green Economy grows in importance, many jobs will require green skills as companies across sectors adopt more environmentally sustainable practices. It is revealed that more than seven in 10 employers are looking to hire talent for sustainability-related initiatives in the next two years¹. Locally, more than 450 job roles across 17 sectors require workers with relevant green skills². These sectors range from Green Finance and Accounting, Food Security, Built Environment, Manufacturing, and Energy and Power.

There are many skills for implementing and managing sustainability practices that are transferable across industries and sectors with the adoption of greener business models and practices. Business leaders share that Environment and Social Governance (44%) is the top sustainability-related skill that would be useful for their organisation, followed by Carbon Footprint Management (40%) and Sustainable Business Strategies (39%).

Priority skills include Green Process Design which looks at reducing wastage and pollution in providing products and services, Carbon Footprint Management which helps keep greenhouse gas emissions to a minimum, and Environmental Management System Framework/Policy which looks at implementing procedures and practices to ensure compliance with legal and organisational requirements.

If you are passionate about making the world a more sustainable place to live in, working in the Green Economy can be a very rewarding career. There are many opportunities NTU graduates can venture into, such as sustainability associate/manager, energy trader, or even as an urban farmer to advance Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development.