When clients ask, “Is this a green job?”, many career counsellors instinctively look at the job title. Roles such as Sustainability Manager, Environmental Consultant, or Renewable Energy Engineer are clearly associated with the green economy, while titles like Accountant, Project Manager, or Procurement Specialist may not seem relevant.
However, this approach is becoming outdated.
As industries integrate sustainability into everyday operations, green work is no longer confined to specific job titles. Increasingly, traditional occupations are evolving to include environmental responsibilities, making it essential for career counsellors to assess what people do, not simply what their jobs are called.
The OECD’s Job-to-Job Mobility Working Paper introduces the Green Job Explorer’s three-axis framework, offering a more practical way to evaluate green careers. By moving beyond job titles, career counsellors can provide more accurate guidance and help clients identify opportunities they might otherwise overlook.
Disclaimer: Please note that the content of this article is for informational purposes only and not intended to serve as personal career counselling. While our team comprises certified career counsellors, the insights presented are generalised and may not apply to every individual’s unique circumstances. We encourage you to seek personalised career counselling for advice tailored to your own situation.
1. Why Job Titles Don’t Tell the Whole Story
The green transition is transforming jobs across sectors including manufacturing, finance, healthcare, logistics, construction, and technology.
For example, a procurement manager may now evaluate suppliers based on sustainability criteria. An HR professional may implement green workplace policies, while a project manager may oversee energy-efficient initiatives.
Although these professionals don’t hold “green” job titles, sustainability has become part of their daily responsibilities.
Focusing solely on job titles can therefore underestimate a client’s potential to contribute to the green economy.
Instead, career counsellors should examine how environmental objectives influence the work being performed.
2. Understanding the Green Job Explorer’s Three-Axis Framework
The Green Job Explorer provides a broader perspective by assessing occupations through three complementary dimensions rather than relying on labels alone.
A. Green Tasks
The first axis considers whether a job includes activities that directly contribute to environmental sustainability.
Examples include:
- Improving energy efficiency
- Reducing waste
- Managing environmental compliance
- Supporting sustainable procurement
- Monitoring emissions
- Implementing circular economy practices
The more green-related tasks a role involves, the stronger its connection to the green transition.
B. Green Skills
The second axis focuses on the competencies employees need to perform these tasks effectively.
These may include:
- Environmental awareness
- ESG knowledge
- Resource efficiency
- Carbon management
- Sustainable project management
- Systems thinking
- Data analysis for sustainability reporting
Importantly, these skills often complement existing professional expertise rather than replacing it.
C. Green Context
The final axis looks at the broader environment in which the work is carried out.
Questions include:
- Does the employer have sustainability objectives?
- Is the industry undergoing environmental transformation?
- Are regulations changing how work is performed?
- Is sustainability influencing business strategy?
Even if individual tasks remain similar, the surrounding business context may require employees to adopt greener practices.
3. How Career Counsellors Can Apply the Framework
Instead of asking whether a client has a green job, counsellors can ask more meaningful questions.
For example:
- Which sustainability-related tasks are part of your current role?
- Have environmental regulations changed how you work?
- Which green skills have you developed through your experience?
- How is your industry adapting to the green transition?
These conversations help uncover valuable experience that clients may not recognise themselves.
A logistics manager reducing fuel consumption, for instance, is already contributing to sustainability, even if their job title has not changed.
4. Better Career Guidance Through Better Assessment
Using the three-axis framework allows career counsellors to deliver more personalised advice.
Rather than recommending complete career changes, they can:
- Identify transferable green skills.
- Highlight emerging opportunities within existing industries.
- Recommend targeted upskilling instead of extensive retraining.
- Help clients communicate sustainability experience on CVs and LinkedIn profiles.
- Build confidence by showing how existing expertise remains valuable.
This strengths-based approach is particularly useful for mid-career professionals who may feel uncertain about navigating the green transition.
5. Looking Beyond Labels
The future workforce will not be divided neatly into “green jobs” and “non-green jobs.” Instead, sustainability will increasingly become part of roles across every sector.
By focusing on tasks, skills, and context, career counsellors can better understand how occupations are evolving and provide guidance that reflects the realities of today’s labour market.
This approach also helps clients see that they don’t necessarily need a new job title to build a meaningful green career.
Conclusion
Assessing green careers based solely on job titles no longer reflects the changing world of work. As sustainability becomes embedded across industries, career counsellors need more effective ways to evaluate emerging opportunities.
The Green Job Explorer’s three-axis framework—examining green tasks, green skills, and green context—provides a practical method for understanding how jobs are evolving and where clients fit within the green economy.
By moving beyond labels and focusing on the work people actually do, career counsellors can help clients recognise transferable strengths, identify targeted learning opportunities, and make informed career decisions.
In the future of work, the greenest career may not be defined by its title—but by the impact it creates.
