Sustainability careers in the curriculum

Earth Day brings future careers to the fore

By Kim Biddulph, Head of Engagement Projects

Kim blogs about 3 important reasons there should be a focus on careers helping the environment or tackling climate change for Earth Day.

Thinking about how we can tackle climate change feels like an important action on Earth Day, and one you will be likely to do with your students. But it can feel overwhelming to approach the subject, and both you and your students can feel helpless to effect a change. By focusing on solutions to climate change and associated careers you can expand the narrative from switching off lights and taking the bus, to the opportunities to transform the energy sector and develop carbon removal technology.

Here are 3 important reasons why you should focus on careers this Earth Day.

1. In July 2019, the UK parliament passed legislation committing the country to become a ‘Net zero’ economy by 2050. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is vitally important but emissions cannot be eliminated completely, so those that remain need to actively removed, hence ‘Net zero’.  11-year-olds in the education system today will be 36 years old in 2050. Last year only one in five school leavers were able to identify the correct meaning of ‘Net zero’ (“Climate literacy amongst school leavers”, DfE, Nov 2024), so this is a key concept to share with today’s students.
2.  According to the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s independent adviser on tackling climate change, up to 725,000 new jobs could be created by 2030 in low-carbon sectors, such as buildings retrofit, and the manufacture of electric vehicles. (‘A Net zero workforce’ Climate Change Committee, May 2023). For more detail about growth areas for green jobs, see our report (Net zero Workforce - An analysis of existing research, EngineeringUK, April 2025).
3. One of the main growth sectors for green jobs is in renewable energy generation. In December 2024, the new government published its ‘Clean Power 2030 Action Plan’ in which it sets out its ambition for tripling capacity in offshore wind, doubling onshore wind, tripling solar and a five-fold increase in battery capacity to store renewable energy for when it’s most needed. (‘Clean Power 2030 Action Plan: A new era of clean electricity’ UK Government, Dec 2024)

If you feel inspired to approach Earth Day from a careers angle, you’ll be delighted to hear we have ready-made resources highlighting the engineering and tech jobs that are leading the fight against climate change for you to use. 

• Use the Climate Schools Programme in science, geography and English lessons
• Sign up for the Climate Action Club to kick start an extra-curricular project
• Download our green careers postcards and posters