Measures aren't limited to hiring green talent, employers told
The shift to a green economy is becoming more evident in the workplace amid growing pressure from international leaders and the workforce to adopt more sustainable practices.
An example is the major surge in Malaysia's retail industry over the past year, which spiked 173% amid increased adoption of sustainable solutions, according to the latest foundit Insights tracker.
The shift comes as the United Nations demanded further climate action from business leaders as the world enters an era of "global boiling."
The workforce is also demanding this, as they put their employers' sustainability efforts under more scrutiny than before.
But what measures can organisations take to further their transition to the green economy and achieve net zero targets?
One step is by hiring talent with existing green skills, according to LinkedIn, as well as investing in new entrepreneurs to help expand green business opportunities.
But Frank Koo, former head of Asia at LinkedIn, previously said the solution isn't limited to recruiting more people into green jobs.
"The solution is to not only hire more people into green jobs but also look to incorporate green skills into existing jobs that are not traditionally green in nature," Koo said in a previous exclusive feature with HRD.
"For example, a procurement professional can be upskilled in the area of sustainable procurement and therefore contribute to the company's sustainability efforts. Likewise, a facilities manager can be upskilled to be able to evaluate and implement recycling programs in office facilities."
According to the feature, business leaders can also support green upskilling and reskilling through training, learning courses, and local programmes.
"To achieve a more sustainable future together, businesses can play a role," Koo said. "It's important that they understand the value of incorporating green champions into their workforce, which not only benefits the wider community but also makes sense for their business bottom lines."
Find out more about the shift to the green economy and how it's affecting the workforce in this exclusive feature from HRD.
