What do you want to be when you grow up?

By Violet

Age 20

Exploring the opportunities and complexities of green careers within the UK job market. Since I was 11, I’ve known I wanted to pursue what’s now called a ‘green career.’ However, whenever I answered the classic question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, whether from teachers, relatives, or strangers, the reactions were mixed.

I never chose this path for financial gain; I was driven by genuine interest and a growing awareness of the urgent need for climate action. Still, it stung when my answer was met with dismissive comments about the limited prospects of a career based in environmental science. Now, as I approach the final year of my environmental science degree at university, I’m finally able to test whether a green career can offer both purpose and opportunity, and what I’ve discovered is more promising than I
expected.

Violet on one of her work experiences

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According to PwC’s Green Job Barometer from November 2024, job adverts for green careers increased by 9.2% despite a 22.5% decline in the overall job market, with over 20,000 more green job listings than the previous year. Carl Sizer, PwC’s Chief Markets Officer, highlights that “While this signals great opportunity as the UK transitions to net zero, it also reveals a shortage of green skills.”

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Globally, as the climate crisis worsens, a silver lining emerges: the growing need for the skills of an environmentalist. While my interest in pretty rocks and polluted waterways might seem pointless to my grandmother and her friends, these passions are precisely what will give me and my environmentally focussed counterparts meaningful career prospects.

Research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) indicates that sub-sectors of the green economy, including renewable energy and green finance, now employ nearly one million full-time workers. These roles offer an average annual salary almost £6,000 higher than the national average. While money has never been the driving force behind my involvement in this field, the industry’s rapid growth has made it possible for environmentally focused careers to offer not just purpose, but also financial stability.

Crucially, this shift enables more people to get involved, as environmental justice and climate action can’t remain side projects. They need to be viable, long-term career paths if we’re serious about sustaining and accelerating progress. Green careers are vital, and the individuals in these roles are a driving force in building a sustainable future for both future generations and the natural world around us. Though challenges remain and opposition will persist, one thing is clear: green careers are essential to addressing and mitigating the climate crisis.
I’ve always been proud to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with honesty, even when the financial future seemed uncertain. Now, as the industry grows and opportunities expand, I hope others feel just as confident in giving that same answer. Because the more of us who choose this path, the better chance we have at creating a world worth growing up in.

Confederation of British Industry (2025). THE FUTURE IS GREEN.
Available at:
https://www.cbi.org.uk/media/owxdidg1/cbi-economics-eciu-the-future-is-green-report-2025.pdf.
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PWC (2024). UK Sees Surge in the Demand for Green Skills despite Overall Job Market Decline - PwC Green Jobs Barometer. [online] PwC. Available at:
https://www.pwc.co.uk/press-room/press-releases/research-commentary/2024/uk-sees-surge-in-the-demand-for-green-skills-despite-overall-job.html.

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