How Green is my Occupation Classification?

Abstract

Economic growth that prevents environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and reduces climate change is dependent on the identification of new statistical measures, particularly in the way society works. The challenge is to define green jobs and identify green skills and incorporate them into a statistical framework to facilitate integration of economic, social, and environmental components of the labour market. What jobs will stay, what jobs will go and what jobs will emerge? How will the way we work change and can a statistical occupation classification adapt accordingly? The current concept of skill which underpins the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) classification may impose a constraint limiting the immediate opportunity for change within the classification structure. However the current ANZSCO classification should be flexible enough to provide an avenue for beginning the process of identifying new occupations in this emerging area of the New Zealand economy. Are green jobs actually new jobs as per existing classification principles or are they just new names for existing jobs? Are there actually new skill requirements that change the way current occupations are described? What are the attributes that need to be measured? This paper seeks to explore the feasibility of defining and classifying green jobs and green skills within the existing ANZSCO framework which may be able to be addressed at the next minor review of the classification.