Confartigianato and Istat publish the 2017 data: the environmental economy represents 2.1% of the Italian economy. The production of energy from renewable sources accounts for 1 percentage point of GDP, double the EU average (0.5%). Translated into jobs, this means 386 thousand full-time positions (+0.5% compared to 2016).
The examination of the sector of goods and services whose primary purpose is the protection of the environment and the management of natural resources shows that in 2017 the estimate of the added value generated by the environmental economy is equal to 36 billion euros (+0.9% compared to 2016) and accounts for 2.3% of the total added value and 2.1% of GDP. The value of production exceeds 77 billion with an increase of 1.9% compared to the previous year.
In 2017, two-thirds (65.3%) of the added value of the environmental economy comes from the production of goods and services intended for the management of natural resources. The remaining third (34.7%) of added value relates to environmental protection activities, with the largest contribution coming from waste management (19.7%); followed by wastewater management with 8.3% of added value, protection and remediation of soil, groundwater, and surface water with 4.0%, and air and climate protection with 1.9%.
In Europe, the leading country is Finland, where the environmental economy accounts for 5.7% of GDP (2016 data), followed by Estonia (4.6%) and Austria (3.8%).
The production of energy from renewables in Italy accounts for 1 percentage point of GDP, double the 0.5% of the EU average; Italy, along with Denmark and Bulgaria, ranks third in the Union for the weight of this segment of the green economy, behind Finland (1.3%) and Latvia (1.1%);
Over a three-year period, the added value of the Italian environmental economy has increased by 10.7%; among the most significant green sectors, there are marked increases in wastewater management (+14.3%) and in the production of energy from renewable sources (+12.2%); waste management is less dynamic (+5.8%).
But what exactly are green jobs?
The definition comes from the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), the United Nations agency operating in the field of environmental protection.
“Green jobs are defined as occupations in the agriculture, manufacturing, research and development, administration, and services sectors that contribute significantly to preserving or restoring environmental quality.”
Due to the variety and constant expansion of the sector, there are increasingly concrete opportunities for significant job openings for millions of workers in positions related to the environment.
The most sought-after job profiles include installers, project managers, managerial figures, and those related to the financial world, green project financiers, marketing and communication managers.
There is no specific training path to follow for placement, but it is possible to come from various educational backgrounds if one can adapt their skills in the right direction.
Let’s see some examples:
- From the legal side, we find the eco-lawyer, for whom there is still no specific training after graduating in Law. Today, many companies, due to increasingly strict and restrictive environmental laws, need experts in the field.
- In tourism, there is a strong demand for guides with botanical, geological, and zoological knowledge, given the increasing number of tourists who prefer to undertake nature and natural landscape trips.
- Then there is the green designer, who integrates knowledge of construction with landscaping, dealing with the management of gardens and urban green areas. Usually, this is an architect or an agronomist.
- The environmental chemist is a technical figure who deals with the proper disposal of industrial waste and selecting materials that, causing less impact on the environment compared to more traditional ones, are destined for production.
- The bioengineer, although he also does not yet have a well-defined training path, has become essential in companies that decide to use new biocompatible industrial materials. Also required for the design of waste disposal plants or the remediation of contaminated sites.
- A very useful reference point is the site GREENJOBS.IT, a job portal dedicated to professions in the green economy and non-profit sector.
And this is just the beginning!
Dorabaltea® water purification is today recognized internationally as a reference company in the wastewater treatment sector for domestic, assimilated, and agri-food wastewater. Water and its sustainable use is a true mission for Dorabaltea®. The choice of internal and external partners does not disregard respect for the environment. Without water, life on earth could not exist; for Dorabaltea®, it is essential to seek the best and most eco-sustainable plant solutions that allow us to restore a resource to the environment rather than a waste.
