Climate change is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. As governments lead the way in climate action, Singapore plays its part by pledging Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement and accordingly established the “Singapore Green Plan 2030 (SGP30),” national net-zero blueprint, and a whole-of-nation movement to advance sustainable development. However, a critical challenge in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region is the lack of green talent, hindering the progress towards sustainable development goals. The foundation to catalyze one of the largest industrial and technological transformations to-date lies upon the generation of talent who will serve as the driving force for the green economy.

Green Career Chats (GSC) will focus on tackling the green talent gap through educational efforts on green career pathways. The hub believes that in order for future generations to join in and be the catalysts of combating climate change, there needs to be a platform of knowledge transfer to empower youth with green careers. The GCS involves a series of career interviews with professionals within the sustainability industry, in video format to be published on YouTube and other platforms, to raise awareness through educational content on different career pathways. Through this, GCS aims to inspire and educate youth in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region on green career pathways and create awareness on the importance of green jobs. This will be directed towards filling the green talent gap in the region, further anchoring Singapore’s progressive efforts to climate change in a forward-looking approach.

Currently in the early implementation phase, the GCS team plans to reach out to professionals in various domains within the sustainability industry and conduct interviews that highlight their experiences, career paths, and advice for aspiring green professionals. In curating the interviewees, the GCS team plans to bring an array of profiles with domain expertise, ranging from Renewable Energy/ Energy transition, Decarbonisation, Transport Electric Vehicles, Biodiversity, Circular Economy across public and private sector. The GCS has been awarded funding from Climate Reality.

The team is preparing to launch the first interview soon, and targets to achieve an outreach of 500+ youths in its initial implementation phase.