Combating climate change is no longer considered just for “tree huggers.” In fact, 49 countries and 93 Fortune 500 companies have made commitments to reach net zero carbon emissions. This means that climate tech startups are on the rise — and they’ll be hiring.

What is Climate Tech 2.0?

In the mid- to late-2000’s, climate tech, then known as clean tech, experienced a boom. There was lots of optimism about sustainable business, but the investments didn’t pan out. Climate tech got put on the back burner for the next decade, but now it’s back on the rise. That’s why it’s sometimes called Climate Tech 2.0 — it’s a new, second wave of environmentally-focused VCs. 

The trend for companies and governments to move toward net zero has brought climate tech to the forefront. And many aspects of sustainable business are cheaper than before — for instance, solar and wind energy is 70-90% less expensive to maintain than it was during the first climate wave. This makes climate tech more attractive than ever for investors. 

Types of Climate Tech Businesses 

What kinds of climate tech companies should you expect to see rise in the next few years? We all know there has been lots of interest in hybrid and electric vehicles, and that trend will continue, even expanding to trains, planes, and ships. There will also be lots of focus on optimizing supply chains and altering industries and processes that traditionally require lots of energy. The food system is also ripe for innovation, and we’ll see startups popping up that are focused on things like developing regenerative soil or protein-rich alternatives to meat. 

Jobs in Climate Tech 

If you want to be a part of the climate tech boom, these are the roles you should expect to see on the hiring pages of sustainable startups. 

Environmental Scientist 

Perhaps this seems obvious, but environmental scientists are going to be crucial for climate tech companies. Just having them on the team indicates to investors that the organization has the required talent to do something great. Environmental scientists will be experts with vital knowledge about the Earth that can be applied to innovative technologies. 

Climate Data Scientists 

Data scientists who specialize in climate issues will be in high demand. That’s not to say that if you have no experience with environmentally-focused projects you should not apply to a climate tech company. On the contrary, companies are going to need data scientists more than ever. But if you want a leg up in the hiring process, any experience you have with projects related to climate, carbon emissions, or sustainability will be attractive to climate tech startups. 

Project Managers and Engineers 

These roles can be found at any tech company, and climate tech is no different. The difference is that there will be less competition in the climate tech market (that is, until it takes off). Everyone thinks to apply to FinTech companies, for instance, but few are venturing into the world of climate tech. And yet demand is high, giving potential employees some bargaining power in the hiring process. 

Work with Onward 

Onward has already been working to develop sustainable solutions in exploration and geoscience for some time now. You can be a part of building breakthrough products and solutions that may help combat climate change. Check out our job openings.