Cobalt news
Environmental jobs market
Chris Kiernan
27/02/2009
The grave problems affecting the globally economy have certainly had a significant negative impact on the environmental jobs market:
However touching on the point I made previously: environmental liability, that is to say the financial and legal risks associated with corporate activity, still remain a fundamental base from which analyse the green jobs market – transactions & compliance respectively. Environmental projects associated with both corporate (Mergers & Acquisitions) and property development and transactions, have slumped to unprecedented levels: as such many companies and consultancies have made significant redundancies in these areas, across professional disciplines. It is the legal and compliance environmental work that remains strongest: Both in terms of auditing and assurance; essentially making sure that corporate activity whatever its nature, remains within the environmental boundary guidelines associated with that particular company’s sector.
Running alongside this point of legal parity in commercial activity, there exists clear continuing growth within Infrastructure (projects such as Crossrail), Energy (O&G, Renewables) and other associated PFI sectors such as Waste Management. Corporate organisations are also continuing their endeavour to further grasp at the commercial benefits associated with an environmental friendly brand. As such clear growth areas exist in more strategic services such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) planning and management.
What news abroad? By the very nature of the aforementioned industries and their global reach, job opportunities exist in virtually any place imaginable. Whilst China, India& the Middle East have also seen a significant slowdown in their respective economies, environmental jobs in infrastructure, utilities and energy continue to proliferate. The World Bank continues to assist the Developing Countries across continents in similar schemes - for the more footloose environmental consultant, work continues abound in these regions.
Regarding the UK, my concluding outlook is still one of positivity – a hope, in the most general of senses that banks will start lending again and corporate activity can begin anew – with it, expect to see a healthy resurgence in the green jobs market. Forecasting is impossible – however I would proffer a gradual revival of the environmental businesses around Q3, approx September time. Regarding the wider market, we shall see – new local, regional, national and international legislation is continuing to be introduced, all requiring new skilled labour to plan, implement and enforce – tomorrow never knows.