International Youth Day has been celebrated globally this year with the theme of “Green Skills for Youth towards a Sustainable World.” In India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with YuWaah UNICEF, marked the day by organizing the “Impact with Youth Conclave” under the theme “Igniting Passions & Sparking Change.” This event aims to amplify the voices and drive change with young people from South Asia. Given India’s population, which includes more than 250 million youth, the nation plays a crucial role in nurturing a socially and environmentally responsible youth community as part of the journey to achieve climate goals.
“Green skills” encompass the expertise and abilities required to develop and support sustainable and resource efficient society. As promoting life and labor skills is a primary goal of India’s skilling policy to address the existing skill gap, integrating labor skilling with green skills can yield better results in creating a greener workforce across sectors. This integration can also encourage businesses and companies to adopt more environmentally responsible practices.
Building a sustainable environment and addressing climate challenges is a global imperative. India’s young minds collectively hold the responsibility to contribute to these efforts as potential trendsetters.
India’s Initiatives to Promote Green Skills:
In India, the efforts to promote green skills have initiated in 2017 by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change by introducing the Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) which implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Initially focused on building a proficient and certified workforce within the environment and forest sector, including tasks like biodiversity conservation, pollution control, and renewable energy, the program later adopted a two-pronged approach.
The first approach involves enhancing the skills of current professionals in the environmental sector, such as forest guards, park rangers, and environmental scientists. The second focuses on nurturing a new generation of skilled individuals capable of contributing to effective environmental management across sectors like waste management, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture.
The GSDP has significantly contributed to India’s green economy. According to NSDC, the program has trained over 200,000 individuals in diverse green skills and successfully placed more than 60,000 candidates in environment-related jobs. It has also facilitated self-employment opportunities, motivating trainees to establish ventures in areas like organic farming, eco-tourism, and renewable energy. The program has not only boosted youth employment but also fostered a sense of responsibility towards nature and resources.
The GSDP’s innovative approach and tangible results have garnered recognition from national and international organizations. In 2019, the program received the Future Policy Gold Award from the World Future Council, acknowledging its role in promoting sustainable development and green skills.
Shifting Youth Buying and Earning Behaviors towards Sustainability:
The global market is experiencing a significant shift towards environmentally friendly goods and services, particularly in energy, materials, transportation, food, and packaging. This shift has redefined business strategies to align with sustainable approaches, which demands a green skilled workforce and environmentally conscious decision makers in many of the existing occupations. India’s experiences with climate change have prompted its youth to focus more on sustainable purchasing, employment, and investment opportunities.
Deloitte’s CxO Sustainable Report for 2023 highlighted that stakeholders like regulators, shareholders, consumers, and employees are compelling companies to adopt sustainable practices. Changing consumption patterns are also evident among Indian youth, leading to increased purchases of sustainably sourced products. Greener technologies, eco-friendly goods, and reduced carbon emissions are becoming influential factors in consumer decisions, particularly among the vast youth and Gen Z population. Consequently, imparting green skills to the youth not only helps build a green workforce but also influences their purchasing behaviors, business ideas, entrepreneurial ventures, and investments, all contributing to long-term sustainable goals.
Challenges in India:
While India has indeed implemented the Green Skill Development Program, its framework is currently limited to a few areas of sustainability, such as biodiversity conservation, pollution control, and sustainable agriculture. While these sectors are undeniably important and require proficiency in green techniques, there are also other critical domains that the current framework fails to address.
The concept of green skilling should extend across all sectors and become an integral part of the education system, spanning from schools to colleges. This approach would enable both aspiring individuals and professionals to remain relevant in an evolving job market that is increasingly transitioning towards green practices. Emerging economic activities and trends demand professionals who possess adeptness in sustainable engineering and business practices.
The National Youth Policy 2021, drafted by the Government of India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, aims to harness the potential benefits from the youth, who are considered the “most dynamic and vibrant segment” of the population. The policy envisions a 10-year plan for youth development by 2030. However, it does not appear to emphasize the role of youth in achieving sustainable development goals or highlight the importance of nurturing young minds to make a positive green impact on society. While the policy mentions environmental education for youth, the clarity and effectiveness of the framework and its implementation remain uncertain.
India’s National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 has made commendable strides in incorporating life skills into classrooms, but there still remains a gap when it comes to integrating green skills. Furthermore, professional subjects should incorporate coursework related to sustainable development and the challenges posed by climate change. Equipping individuals with the knowledge and awareness necessary for sustainability and resource management through green skilling will enable them to develop qualities essential for green entrepreneurship, a critical need of the hour.
Instilling green skills in students from a young age is vital for nurturing environmentally conscious citizens, especially considering India’s status as the world’s largest and youngest populated country. It is high time to revise India’s policies and frameworks on green skilling and develop more impactful measures. Green skilling should also be seamlessly incorporated into the education policy. This approach not only contributes to personal development but also fosters a sense of responsibility towards the environment and its sustainable management.