To meet the climate targets set for 2030, a green transformation of nearly all economic sectors is essential. This ambitious goal will not be achievable without a sufficient number of skilled workers capable of addressing the challenges of the energy transition and the climate crisis.
In an effort to identify the occupations and skills that will be most in demand in the future, the World Economic Forum has published the Future of Jobs Report 2025. This unique document draws on an extensive survey conducted among global employers, providing valuable insights into labor market trends.
The latest edition of the report reflects the views of more than 1,000 employers, collectively employing over 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies worldwide. The result is a highly detailed analysis of emerging jobs and skills that will shape the period from 2025 to 2030.
According to the report’s findings, climate change ranks third among the key trends that will most transform global business operations over the next five years.
These trends highlight an increasing demand for roles such as renewable energy engineers, environmental protection engineers, and specialists in electric and autonomous vehicles, which are among the 15 fastest-growing occupations. Climate change is also driving greater emphasis on environmental management, which for the first time has been ranked among the world’s top 10 most sought-after skills.
The second most transformative trend is the rising cost of living, with half of employers expecting this trend to significantly shape their operations by 2030, despite the projected slowdown in global inflation. These factors will further drive the demand for creativity, adaptability, resilience, and agility—skills that are becoming critical for business success.
Finally, the most transformative trend is the expansion of digital access—60 percent of employers predict that digitalization will significantly reshape their business operations by 2030. Technological advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence, data processing, robotics, and automation, as well as energy solutions like production, storage, and distribution, will further influence the labor market.
More:
- European Commission Invests 2.4 Billion Euros in Green Technologies
- EU Updates Environmental Standards for Forges and Foundries
- Final Agreements at COP29 – New Declarations on Methane, Water, and Climate Financing
Training and Reskilling Essential for a Large Portion of the Workforce
As global labor markets undergo structural transformation, the World Economic Forum estimates that jobs such as administrative assistants, postal and banking service clerks, and data entry operators are among those facing the greatest decline.
Additionally, the report predicts that 39 percent of existing skills will become obsolete or transformed by 2030, although this skills instability has slowed compared to 2020, when it peaked at 57 percent. This trend is partly attributed to a higher percentage of workers (50 percent) who have undergone training, reskilling, or upskilling.
Given the growing demand for new skills, a significant portion of the workforce still requires training or reskilling—if the global workforce were represented by 100 people, 59 would need to undergo training by 2030.
Surveyed companies identified skills gaps as the greatest barrier to business transformation. Accordingly, 85 percent of employers plan to prioritize workforce development, with 70 percent expecting to hire staff with new skills, 40 percent planning to reduce headcount as certain skills become less relevant, and 50 percent intending to provide training for their workforce.
