The project ran a UK-wide survey that set out to answer the following questions:

• To what extent are individuals aware of, and interested in, ‘green jobs’? Does the level of awareness and interest differ between men and women? While this question has been addressed in previous research, this project is well positioned to compare gender differences in interest towards ‘green jobs’ at a broad level with gender differences in interest towards specific STEM and non-STEM green jobs. This could help us understand whether the appeal of ‘green jobs’ as a whole extends to individual green jobs this category encompasses.
• Is there a difference in the way men and women perceive potential barriers to entry in the green labour market, specifically in relation to STEM and non-STEM green jobs?
• To what extent do the perceptions of barriers vary across different green jobs?

While the survey touched upon participants’ awareness of, and interest in, ‘green jobs’ more broadly, it primarily focused on their perceptions and understanding of six specific green jobs, closely related to participants’ educational and professional backgrounds. These jobs were selected to cover a range of sectors and due to their expected increase in demand. The survey ultimately included four STEM and two non-STEM roles. The STEM green jobs were chosen from the most carbon-intensive industries (energy and construction) to highlight areas anticipated to undergo a significant green transition. In contrast, the two non-STEM green jobs were selected based on insights from opinion pieces discussing growing opportunities in non-STEM green careers. All green jobs included in the survey are listed in Figure 1, alongside the number of participants assigned to each.

Please note that while the survey initially aimed for an even gender distribution among participants in six green jobs, recruitment challenges led to a higher proportion of men assigned to STEM green jobs. Despite this imbalance, the final sample size still ensured that the survey was sufficiently powered to identify meaningful gender differences in both STEM and non-STEM domains.

A total of 2,385 participants completed the full survey, comprising 57.7% men and 42.3% women with an age range of 18-80 years (median age 39) [1]. Among those assigned to STEM green jobs, the majority reported expertise in Computer Science (25.6%), Engineering (22.9%), Mathematics (12.6%), and Building and Construction (11.5%). For those in non-STEM green jobs, dominant areas of expertise were Business (25.6%), Hospitality and Retail (17.4%), Management (13.2%) and Finance (9.2%).

The process for assigning participants to green jobs and the full survey procedure are illustrated in Figure 2.

In Step 1, potential participants reported on their qualification level, subject expertise and self-identification with STEM. In Step 2, only those with pre-specified educational and professional backgrounds were allowed to continue with the survey and were matched with a green job that aligned closely with their expertise. This approach ensured that all participants had the necessary knowledge for meaningful survey participation.

Below, we outline which participants were assigned to two green jobs, while full requirements for assigning participants to all green jobs are detailed in the Appendix.

• For instance, to be assigned to a STEM job ‘Renewable Energy Engineer’, a participant had to hold at least an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification and have expertise in one of the relevant fields: Engineering, Earth, Environment and Climate Sciences, Physics, Materials Science, Mathematics or Computer Science. Additionally, they needed to self-identify their primary area of expertise as belonging to a STEM discipline, thus ensuring that their background aligned with the STEM nature of the role.
• A non-STEM job, ‘Environmental Consultant’, demanded an undergraduate degree or equivalent and expertise in Earth, Environment and Climate Sciences, Economics, Law, Management, Business, Finance, Psychology, Geography, Agriculture or Horticulture. Additionally, a participant needed to self-identify their primary area of expertise as belonging to a non-STEM discipline.
• When a participant was eligible for multiple green jobs, they were assigned to one based on pre-specified probabilities. For example, a participant who had an undergraduate degree in Engineering and identified their area of expertise as STEM-related had a 75% probability of being assigned to a ‘Renewable Energy Engineer’ job and 25% probability of being assigned to an ‘Environmental Design Specialist’ job. These probabilities varied depending on how closely each set of qualifications matched each job’s requirements.

All participants who passed Step 2 reported on their awareness of, and interest in, ‘green jobs’ in Step 3 (see Section 3 of this report). In Step 4, participants finally learnt about the green job they had been assigned to. At this stage, 312 individuals reported already working in the assigned green job. They were excluded from the survey in order to concentrate on those who might consider transitioning into these roles.

In Step 5, participants responded to a series of survey questions which delved into various aspects of their specific green job (see Sections 4 and 5 of this report). Specifically, these questions explored participants’ awareness of the job’s requirements, overall impressions of the job, as well as perceptions of key job attributes, including salary, competitiveness and availability.

Finally, while individual participants provided responses to a single STEM or non-STEM green job, most of the analyses included in this report do not focus on job-level responses. Instead, they combine responses across all green jobs within the STEM and non-STEM domains to examine participants’ views at the broader category level. This approach allows us to identify trends, common barriers and areas of interest that are likely relevant to a wider range of professionals who could consider moving into green jobs, rather than confining insights to particular job titles. Nevertheless, detailed statistics for individual green jobs, along with additional data visualisations and information about the survey methodology and statistical analyses, can be found in the Appendix.