Climate Change Legislation = Job Losses > Green Jobs?

The topic of debate for a panel of economists hosted by the Senate yesterday unsurprisingly was whether climate change legislation could lead to job losses. Some said that jobs would be lost in the refining and manufacturing industries, others countered that these would be paralleled by the expected growth of 'green jobs.' Although the workforce wouldn't necessarily negate each other since they would require training in renewable power.

Margo Thorning, chief economist with the American Council on Capital Formation, said that despite the many green jobs that would be created, job losses could amount to as high as 80,000 in 2020.

However, Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute, in a separate statement, said that "all major oil and gas producers were already developing green jobs by investing in low carbon technologies," so the premise that there would more job losses than created is false.

While there will always be two sides to the argument, as far as jobs go, it is in everyone's benefit to stay up-to-date with these developments. Because regardless of legislation, jobs in sustainability are being created across industries everyday requiring people prepared to learn the required skills and eager to make career progression.