When last summer journalist Akshat Rathi started a Twitter thread asking people who left their job to fight climate change to share their stories, he was flooded with thousands of comments and DMs from professionals who did so and had zero regrets. Bloomberg Green calls them ‘climate quitters’ and they represent a growing segment of the global workforce which is looking for a rewarding and meaningful way to contribute to society and the planet.
The Covid-19 pandemic had already triggered ‘the great resignation’ phenomenon, a wave of voluntary resignations due to a variety reasons, including a better work-life balance, dissatisfaction with low wages, the work environment or the company’s vision. This mass exodus is far from being over, with almost 47 million Americans leaving their jobs in 2022. In Italy, they were 1,6 million in 2022, 22% more than the previous year.
According to the International Labor Organisation (ILO), there will be 24 million new jobs in the green economy by 2030, if governments stick up to their commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. In the energy sector, jobs in clean energy have, for the first time, outnumbered jobs in the fossil-fuel industry.
A global survey of 2000 students conducted by the Yale School of Management revealed that 51% of them is willing to accept a lower salary, if the job offer is issued by a company with high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. Similar results emerged in a UK survey published last week by the sustainability consultancy Edie.
As climate change remains one of the most pressing issues of our time, ‘climate quitters’ are here to stay and are going to redefine the job market for years to come.
Are you based in Italy or in another EU country and you have recently quit your job to work in a company or sector involved in climate action? We would like to hear from you! Share your story with Daniela on LinkedIn or Twitter .