High-earning green sector workers feel safe in jobs

By Michael Szabo

LONDON (Reuters) - The economic downturn has claimed the jobs of tens of millions worldwide but most in the thriving climate change sector feel just as safe in their jobs, if not more so, than they did a year ago, a new Reuters survey shows.

Some 68 percent of 'green' workers polled in the first ever Carbon Salary Survey said a heightened response in the past few years from government and business to the threat of climate change has increased their sense of job security.

"The European Union's emissions and renewable energy goals are enshrined and have wide support while U.S. President Obama's vow to take global leadership on climate change puts the market on a very stable footing for continued growth and great job prospects," said London-based climate consultant Amanda Rooney.

The EU gave a boost to Europe's green industry when it agreed last December to source 20 percent of its energy from renewables by 2020 and to cut its carbon emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels, raising that to 30 percent by 2020 if a new global climate treaty is signed.

Obama is pushing Congress to pass its own climate laws and has said he will push the world toward agreement on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, at United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen this December. The survey, conducted along with green sector recruiters Acre Resources and consultants Acona, polled nearly 1,200 professionals who work in areas like renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions trading, in what has become a multi-billion dollar industry spawned by climate change.

HIGH EARNERS

The average green collar worker makes $76,000 per year, the survey showed, with half of respondents receiving an annual bonus of around $11,000. The other half received no bonus.

"Top tier salaries have increased over the past two years. We now see more jobs paying six figure salaries, particularly as climate change has started to pull in senior managers from other areas of business," said Andy Cartland, managing director at Acre Resources.