Development of 'green talent' essential to help nation meet carbon goals

Development outlook

However, experts said the nation still faces a labor shortfall in the carbon-related sector, especially workers with deep skills and knowledge. The profession's certification and standards are also lagging behind the sector's development, hampering career promotion.

Wu Yong, chairman of the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency, emphasized the professionalism of green talent.

He used the example of the position of consultant for saving energy in buildings and emissions reduction, which gained official recognition as a new profession in June, saying that such employees should have strong knowledge of how to evaluate a building's carbon emissions via professional tools, and should also know how to debug and operate installed equipment to make it more efficient.

"It's their job to help maintain the building's facilities and know how to design or update it into a facility that can reduce energy requirements," he said.

"These jobs all require strong professional knowledge and skills, but such knowledge may not be available on campuses because many universities and colleges don't have related courses."

Wu said he is bullish on the profession's development and the association has drafted a standard for the job with assistance and guidance from government bodies and experts.

"We hope that students from different educational backgrounds will be able to obtain systematic training at college in the future to improve their skills and ensure promotion in line with professional standards," he said.

Ding, from Shanghai Huantan Environmental Protection Technology, is also bullish about the development of green talent, even though such people are currently in short supply.

"The central government has delegated the task of carbon emissions reduction to local authorities, which have employed a range of companies. So, both the government and the companies have a growing demand for carbon-related talent. I think those people will share good prospects as we work toward the carbon peak and neutrality goals," she said.

She added that her company is cooperating with Shanghai International Studies University to organize training programs on international communication of carbon neutrality issues to help improve China's ability to discuss climate management.