Green jobs in British Columbia : transitioning toward a low-carbon economy

Abstract

In terms of sustainability, climate change has defined the last decade, underlining the need for a rigorous assessment of the intersection between economic and social development and environmental sustainability. This project's objectives were to define "green job" and to identify existing baselines and projections on the green economy across a selection of published reports. These findings were then examined further by interviewing representatives from the associated organisations seeking a better understanding of parameters, methodologies and policy stances on the green economy. A mixed methods approach triangulated data to gain a clearer understanding of BC's green economy. Findings confirmed a lack of consensus on definition but shed light on a range of parameters and resulting complexities. Methodologies varied, producing incongruent data that made comparisons challenging but, although the sample was relatively small, organizational mandates did fall in line with their respective estimates of the magnitude of the green economy in BC.