Eco-Anxiety: 60% Of UAE Gen Z Professionals Want Green Jobs To Combat Climate Change, LinkedIn Survey Shows

Gen Z professionals in the UAE are concerned about climate change and want to contribute to the climate action agenda, but they lack the necessary green skills compared to other generations.

According to LinkedIn's data, the UAE ranks second in the MENA region for average green talent concentration across generations. However, Gen Z professionals are underrepresented in having green skills compared to other cohorts, with only 15% of green skilled professionals belonging to this generation.

Image Courtesy: Ahmet Kurt/Unsplash+

Climate change concerns

The impact of climate change is a significant concern for Gen Z professionals in the UAE. About 72% have expressed their concern about climate change, and 56% say it negatively affects their mental health, leading to "eco-anxiety". This has led over half of Gen Z respondents to make changes in their daily lives to minimize their carbon footprint (59%), and 61% now consider the environment when making most daily decisions.

This environmentally conscious mindset extends to the workplace, with 61% of Gen Z professionals stating they would consider rejecting a job opportunity if they do not agree with the employer's green policies. Additionally, 59% are interested in working in a green job within the next five years.

Support needed

Despite their interest in green jobs, the study noted that the Gen Z professionals lack awareness of available green career paths. LinkedIn research shows that only 3 in 10 Gen Z professionals in the UAE have good awareness of available green roles, and 63% believe there is a general lack of green opportunities in the labour market. Only 16% think adequate training is available for them to acquire green skills.

The UAE has supported youth-led climate action through initiatives like the International Youth Climate Delegates Programme at COP28 in Dubai. However, more targeted action by businesses and policymakers is needed to prepare young professionals with the skills and knowledge required for green roles.

62% of Gen Z professionals in the UAE believe financial support would encourage them to complete green skills training, while over 50% say employer-driven programmes and government incentives would help.

Ali Matar, EMEA Growth Markets Leader at LinkedIn, says: “Gen Z professionals are projected to represent over a quarter of the international labour force by 2025, so it is important that employers listen more closely to them. This generation is unyielding in their demand for green policies that match their values from their employers and decision-makers, and they are becoming increasingly aware of their role in addressing environmental issues. The first step for them is to acquire the green skills that would enable them to do so; an endeavour that would require the full weight of the labour market actors.”

He recommends the following:

1. Businesses looking to green their workforce must take a skills-based approach to their talent strategies. This means identifying the skills their business will need to achieve their climate goals, hiring based on these skills rather than just their previous job title or academic qualifications, and implementing tailored and targeted skills programmes and on-the-job training to bring in and develop younger workers.
2. For younger workers looking to break into green jobs, there are also steps they can take. For instance, strengthening their digital and STEM skills. LinkedIn data shows these will increase workers’ chances of successfully transitioning into green jobs.
3. Policymakers will also need to explore how they can forge partnerships to help transition workers into green jobs. And as countries introduce and roll out legislation to curb climate change by allocating funding toward green jobs, they’ll need to consider how to pair these mandates with appropriate levels of workforce training for every generation.