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The impacts of climate change are shaping complex perspectives on employment outlooks. A 2024 ECO Canada report projects a 6% increase in new environmental jobs by 2033, while a PWC survey from last year found 25% of Canadian employees think climate change may cause them to lose their jobs. Here are resources that explore the positive and negative impacts of climate change on careers.
Canada in a Changing Climate: Synthesis Report (Government of Canada) [Report]
The report is a summary of Canada’s National Knowledge Assessment of how and why Canada’s climate is changing; the impacts of these changes on communities, environment and economy; and how the country is adapting. This report aims to help inform and support adaptation to climate change across the country. The Climate Risk Institute also has a webinar where contributors discuss the report and overall Assessment process.
Career Development in 2040: 10 Major Changes Impacting the Futures of Work and Workers in Canada (CERIC) [Report]
This report, released in 2024, draws on potential future scenarios to explore how career development services may change and how the role of CDPs may evolve by 2040. Researchers identified “Living with Climate Change” as one of 10 key shifts, and explore scenarios of how that may affect the work of career professionals.
CareerWise [Blogs]
- The climate opportunity we can’t miss: Talking about careers – Jill Eddy stresses the role of higher education in equipping students with climate knowledge and fostering a sense of purpose, showcasing UC San Diego and Simon Fraser University’s approaches to climate education.
- Bringing a climate lens to career counselling – Danielle McCann and Jennifer Luke on how Career Construction Theory’s concept of career adaptability offers a strong foundation for resourcing clients in the context of the climate crisis.
- Closing the climate hope gap using career development – Brian Hutchison and Trevor Lehmann explore how career professionals can support clients to develop an expansive view of careers in climate work, contributing to their sense of agency.
- Challenging career myths amid the climate crisis – Trevor Lehmann breaks down common misconceptions that can prevent clients from taking meaningful action in response to the climate crisis.
Climate change and jobs (International Labour Organization) [Resources]
Climate change and environmental degradation pose significant challenges to economic growth and employment today, and risks will be greater in the medium-to-long term. By contrast, if properly managed, climate change action can lead to more and better jobs. An FAQ on climate change and jobs, and publications providing more background are among the resources on this page.
Climate Change and Jobs: How a Warming Planet Affects Labor Markets (Forbes) [Article]
This article explores how climate change is transforming labour markets. It looks at its impact as a job creator, such as opportunities arising in climate finance and technology development, and a job destroyer, creating mass disruptions in sectors like forestry and tourism.
Climate change: Workplace Impacts (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety) [Course]
Climate change can affect workplaces, employers, workers and the work they do. Workplaces that anticipate and plan for the impacts of climate change will be more resilient. This course discusses the impacts of climate change on workplaces, as well as the psychological well-being of their workers. It also explores ways to address these effects.
Green Goals and Great Opportunities: Canada’s Environmental Labour Demand Forecast to 2033 (ECO Canada) [Report]
The data and insights from this report can help inform business, policy, program and career decisions. This Canada environmental labour demand outlook provides valuable insights into both the environmental workforce today and its evolution throughout the next decade of employment for the country overall, by industry, by specialization, by occupation and by region.
Meeting skill needs for the green transition (CEDEFOP) [Guide]
The guide highlights the value of sound skills intelligence and smart governance in supporting the green transition, showcasing how VET can make a practical impact. It explains how skills anticipation and governance can drive greening efforts, and how apprenticeship, upskilling, reskilling, validation, and microcredentials can contribute to a greener future.
The Future of Jobs Report 2025 (World Economic Forum) [Report]
The Future of Jobs Report 2025 brings together the perspective of over 1,000 leading global employers. Collectively representing more than 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies from around the world, it examines how technological change, geoeconomic fragmentation, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts and the green transition impact jobs and skills, and the workforce transformation strategies employers plan to embark on in response. Climate-change mitigation is the third-most transformative trend overall – and the top trend related to the green transition – while climate-change adaptation ranks sixth with 47% and 41% of employers, respectively, expecting these trends to transform their business in the next five years.
Don’t miss our other resource roundup on “Career development for green careers,” which shares environmentally focused job boards, training programs and more.
