The climate crisis is changing the way we live and the way we work.

According to a 2019 UN research, 80 million jobs might be at danger and productivity could be negatively impacted by unlivable working conditions if increasing temperature predictions come true. One area that is especially vulnerable to transitory risk is the energy sector. Governments are progressively relying more on renewable energy sources and requiring energy producers to have net-zero carbon emissions as a result of the push for greener energy sources.

The US Supreme Court recently limited the authority of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control greenhouse gas emissions and hold fossil fuel companies responsible for their pollution, so handcuffing the agency.

While the effect of the climate crisis is largely unpredictable, we can feel reasonably confident that it will undermine global job markets. Furthermore, it seems that private, profit-driven businesses may be the ones to guide us toward a green future despite climate accords and stirring speeches.

A recent UN report found that 80 million full-time jobs will be lost due to warmer global temperatures and that up to 2.2% of total working hours worldwide will be cut due to the heat.

Climate refugees may also place unique pressures on job markets in the coming years. Since 2008, 21.5 million people have been “forcibly displaced” due to weather events like flooding, storms, wildfires, and extreme temperatures. The number of climate refugees is expected to surpass 1.2 billion by 2050.

For example, the effects of climate change on construction have already been felt, leading to weather-related delays and higher building costs.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Global Energy Transformation report: “Renewable energy needs to be scaled up at least six times faster for the world to start to meet the goals set out in the Paris Agreement.”

How to prevent climate crisis to affect the work market

First of all, it is important to recognize that some meaningful steps have been taken to reduce the impact of climate change on workers all over the world.

While it’s obvious that corporate climate responsibility alone won’t stop climate change, it’s an excellent place to start. In reality, it’s estimated that just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions since 1988. Unlike government organizations, corporations can act fast to improve working conditions and have a significant impact on the local environment, it makes them more capable of having a significant impact on the lives of their workers.

At Universal Kraft, we think that workers can influence change and lead the transition to decentralized energy. We work with over 40 high skilled employees from all over the world and are constantly looking for new talent. Visit our Career page or follow us on LinkedIn.