A Different Way to Celebrate Earth Day

Commit to the Next Generations

Al Gore is not the only one with an inconvenient truth. Jodi Kantor’s piece in The New York Times last weekend put one right in the title: This is a hard time to start a career.

In our realm, we are fortunate to have so many young people who are eager to roll up their sleeves and get to work in sustainability, climate, and environmental work. Problem is, they’re having trouble getting traction right now.

There are conversations ad nauseam about the perils on the employment horizon. And the negative consequences of these changes extend beyond individual well-being and even societal welfare. If we want real progress on climate and the environment, we need talented young people entering the field across every discipline—policy, finance, operations, science, communications, law, engineering, and entrepreneurship. The work simply can not scale without the next generation.

We should do more than just wring our hands. And we can.

Jodi put it best:

“... to anyone who has achieved a measure of success, authority or power: Together we must reeestablish the idea that older people are advocates and protectors for those beginning their careers. In an era when young people are being treated like meatware in an anonymous employment algorithm, we need to bring them all the wisdom, encouragement and connections we can.”

As I shared on LinkedIn, this is a call to action. It’s time to commit to helping young people find their place.

Sustainability professionals (like me): This is part of our job. Almost all of us have benefited from people who gave us early breaks, made introductions, or shared honest advice. I certainly did. I remember vividly and with a real sense of gratitude the people who helped me when I was trying to transition from Wall Street to the environmental community. Now it is my turn—and I would suggest many of our turns—to do the same.

That can mean brainstorming with younger people about where they might fit best, introducing them to organizations, flagging internships and entry points, reviewing resumes, practicing interviews, and advising them on how best to hustle and network even when the job search feels discouraging. It can mean opening a door, making a call, forwarding a name, or spending 20 minutes giving advice that may change someone’s trajectory.

If you’re not sure where to start, think about your organization and what it might position you to do. For example, I really admire that the newsletters My Climate Journey and Climate Tech VC list entry-level job openings and meet-ups for young professionals in our field. It’s a natural thing for a newsletter, presumably an effort but not too big a lift, and it is quite valuable—the trifecta. I’m always directing young people to those two newsletters.

I know many of you are already doing these types of things enthusiastically. If so, and you have some good advice for those of us who want to do more, please share them in the comments section below.

And if you are willing to share your guidance, don’t keep it a secret. Tell people on social media that you are happy to help. And if you have some advice that seems to work well, post those suggestions too. Here’s one example from me.

Younger people aspiring toward enviro careers: Let us know what you need. How can we help you? We want you to succeed and have a big impact. Please tell us how you think we can help most.

Also, please remember: Not everyone you seek out can engage with you. I’ll admit I can’t always keep up with requests like this on a timely basis, so please don’t be discouraged. And of course remember you’re never obliged to follow our advice. (But it’s probably a good idea to consider advice before you discard it.)

Helping our youth succeed is not charity; it’s an investment. Every strong career that gets launched in our field pays dividends in the form of expanded capacity to solve problems we must address. That’s a stake worth taking.

Onward,