5 Jobs That Can Help to Stop Climate Change

Are you keen to know how to help with climate change and keep our world safe? Want to make a difference and help businesses, governments, and individuals reduce emissions and reduce global warming? 

In this article, we’ll discuss five different roles you could pursue that would allow you to fight climate change in your profession and walk you through the qualifications you’ll need to pursue an environmentally focused career.

For those who want to find climate change jobs, a career as a climate scientist (also known as a climatologist) may be the best route possible to achieving that goal. As a climate scientist, you’ll help to track and map weather patterns and measure unusual changes in temperature, rainfall and wind. You’ll work with other climate and environmental scientists to track unusual or extreme weather patterns and report on whether they could be linked to historical rates of carbon emissions.

As a climate scientist, it’s your job to provide as much information as possible about climates in a local area or around the world, which will contribute to the tracking of climate change. Using prediction models, you’ll be able to pass on information to those with the power to change climate policy so that they can work to prevent dangerous long-term changes to our planet’s weather system. Bodies will look to you to give them the information they need to know how much they need to reduce their use of fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions in order to deliver environmental sustainability.

In order to become a climate scientist, you may find the best route is through studying a science-based university course that specialises in the area of climate science you’re most interested in. Focusing on areas like environmental science will allow you to fully understand the effects of climate change and its impact on the environment.

Another way to become a climate scientist is to complete an environmental course or master’s that equips you with the skills and knowledge you need to break into this exciting career field. If you’re successful in becoming a climate scientist, you can earn from £15,000 a year as a beginner to £55,000 after becoming experienced in the field, according to the National Careers Service.

If you’re keen to start a career in environmental law, there are a few different ways you can approach this career choice. You can work with companies to ensure that they are in keeping with environmental law and ensure that rules relating to emissions and the environment are followed.

Another option is to work as a lawyer and practice in court, representing those who have been affected by companies or other bodies who have failed to follow environmental laws, holding those in power to account. This can also apply to regulations around emissions and can also apply to corporate transparency around emission reporting.

If you want to know how to begin a career in this area, you can examine guides on how to become a lawyer or how to become a solicitor, as you’ll need to complete the standard exams required by those practising law of any sort. 

The typical route to becoming a lawyer in the UK is through university. However, if you are currently looking for university law degrees, check the specific entry requirements to determine what you need to get. When at university, the most common lawyer qualification is a law degree (LLB). You can also undertake study in another area and then take a law conversion course.

To become a solicitor, after your degree (or degree and conversion course), you will need to take a Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which is currently in preparation to entirely replace the Graduate Diploma and Legal Practice Course in law.

For barristers, the degree or conversation course aspect remains the same. Following that, however, you will need to pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) and join one of the four inns of court. These provide essential educational support and training for barristers and student barristers.

After becoming qualified in law, you can pivot towards environmental law. To get an understanding of challenges caused by climate change, you can take Environmental courses that can give you a foundation of knowledge that you can combine with your background in law. 

Working as an environmental economist is a great way to apply knowledge in economics in a way that can help to prevent climate change. Environmental economists specialise in researching and predicting how decisions and policies around climate and environmental issues will affect the global economy.

As more countries pledge net-zero goals, environmental economists will play a vital role in advising governments on how to achieve climate targets in a way that supports economic growth. Moreover, environmental economists can also work within and alongside businesses in order to help them create climate targets or reduce emissions in an economically viable way. 

The process of becoming an environmental economist first starts with becoming qualified in economics generally. To become an economist, you’ll want to study a maths or economics A-level before either choosing to enrol on an apprenticeship or studying a maths, finance statistics or business studies course. After that, you may find it beneficial to study for a master’s in economics. 

After becoming qualified, taking an Environmental course that can give greater insight into environmental management or climate change can allow you to apply your economics knowledge in a professional setting related to the stopping of climate change. This could be working within businesses, advising policy, or working within nonprofits and charities. Ultimately, your goal will be to use your knowledge to help influence decisions around climate change from an economic perspective.

Becoming a sustainability consultant is an excellent option for those who want to help companies and businesses become more eco-friendly and reduce their carbon footprint. Working in this field can be done through freelance or agency work, or you can choose to work in-house for a company or for government agencies. Moving forward, job opportunities in this area, at both a senior and entry level will be in high demand as companies and governments alike move towards natural resources for energy in order to help fight climate change.

In this role, you’ll give up-to-date and accurate insight into how businesses can operate in a sustainable way and help them plan long-term sustainability goals. This can range from plans to reduce plastic waste, moves towards renewable energy sources, or even just advice on how to improve energy efficiency in an office space.

When thinking about starting a career as a sustainability consultant, it’s best to think about what degree or qualification will be the most helpful. A degree in a science or engineering-based subject can be a great way to get the knowledge you’ll need to succeed in this role.

If you’ve already completed a degree or don’t have one, taking an Environmental short course or master’s degree can be the best course of action. This will allow you to fill in any gaps in your knowledge, prepare you to apply your learning in a professional setting and give you some of the insight a conservation scientist or environmental studies expert would have access to.

When it comes to green jobs, roles in marketing don’t always come to mind. However, companies have an important role to play in the reduction of climate change, as many of the key products that will be used to reduce climate change, such as electric cars and carbon-neutral products, will need to be marketed towards consumers. 

Moreover, marketers will play an important role in messaging around climate change, ensuring that consumers are aware of the climate-friendly choices they can make. Working with brands to help them market environmentally friendly products or helping renewable energy companies that create wind turbines or solar panels get the coverage they need will be key ways in which marketers can contribute to the stopping of climate change.

A typical way to move into this role would be to study a communications-focused degree or get the skills and knowledge you need through a Marketing course. You’ll be applying the key principles of marketing in this role in the same way you would in any marketing role.

In order to fully understand the impact of climate change and to fully understand how brands or companies are practically contributing to the reduction of climate change, taking an Environmental course can be a good way to build foundational knowledge in this area.