Women are falling behind in the green economy. LinkedIn says the gender gap is getting worse

Gender inequity is everywhere, from household chores and leisure time to salaries and now “green skills.”

As climate change looms over us, skills that can help solve environmental problems are becoming increasingly valuable. However, a new report from LinkedIn finds that only 1 in 10 women have so-called green skills, compared to 1 in 6 men, even as the hiring rate for employees with green skills is 29% above average.

The report analyzed data from LinkedIn’s platform of a billion users and looked at skill categories from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including things like pollution and waste prevention, energy management, sustainability research, and environmental policy.

Here are the key findings from the report:

• The green skill gender gap is growing: Currently 66% of the employees with at least one green skill are male, and this gap has increased from 5% to 6% over the past seven years. Only in Finland are women equally represented—making up 51% of the green workforce. However, it’s worth noting women make up 57% of the broader workforce in Finland.
• The gap is particularly prevalent for renewable energy: Women represent 34% of workers in renewable energy and 44% of workers in other green sectors. Only in environmental quality programs/program administration do women approach parity—they make up 47% of the employees in environmental quality programs. However, the majority of them hold junior posts.
• There is some hope: Since 2021, the number of women joining green sectors has increased by 12.3%, compared to 9% for men. Still, to fully close the gap, participation would need to increase by 2.5 times.

“Women are more vulnerable than men to the devastating impact of climate change,” the reports authors wrote. “Women are also missing out on the chance to be part of the climate solution. Our data shows that women are lagging behind men in almost every aspect of the transition to a green economy, and in many cases these gaps are widening.”