Corporate demand for workers with green skills rises: LinkedIn report

LinkedIn found that green hiring is growing faster than the share of green talent in India's workforce, with employers seeking skills to cut costs, improve efficiency, and reduce environmental impact

Demand for workers with green skills is growing as businesses increasingly seek talent that can help save energy, reduce waste and operate more efficiently, according to new research from LinkedIn.

LinkedIn's Global Green Skills Report 2026 noted that demand for workers with green skills is growing almost as fast as supply in India, with the share of green hiring up 31 per cent in India compared with 29 per cent growth in the share of green talent in the workforce.

Moreover, a significant percentage of green hires in India are now going into jobs without traditionally green titles, as businesses look for workers who can help cut costs, improve efficiency and reduce their environmental impact.

 

"In India, a green career no longer starts with a green job title. Employers want people who can make their operations safer, leaner and more efficient, and they are hiring for that ability well beyond sustainability teams," Susan Mathew, India HR Lead, LinkedIn said.

While workers are particularly keen to pursue green careers, finding opportunities remains a challenge. More than half of Gen Z workers surveyed said they would ideally like a job that contributes to tackling climate change or the energy transition, yet 35 per cent said they find it difficult to find a green job, compared with just 17 per cent of Millennials.

According to LinkedIn, the Utilities sector leads green hiring, as green talent made up 18 per cent of all hires in the industry, followed by Oil, Gas and Mining (12 per cent) and Construction (11 per cent).

The energy workforce is also shifting. Since 2021, the share of LinkedIn members in India working in renewable energy has risen 42 per cent, while the share in oil and gas has fallen 10 per cent.

Founders of two LinkedIn Top Startups 2026 Pune -- BiofuelCircle, a digital marketplace connecting farmers with bioenergy companies, and EMotorad, an electric cycle maker -- see green skills as a key factor to boost operational efficiency.

"The rising demand for green skills marks a turning point for India's economy," Kunal Gupta, Co-founder & CEO, EMotorad, said, adding that "India has the talent and ambition to lead this transition. The real question is how quickly industry invests in building these skills and gives people the opportunity to apply them at scale." Echoing similar sentiments, Suhas Baxi, Co-founder and Group CEO, BiofuelCircle said, "The ability to achieve more with less energy, material and cost will be a defining skill for India's next phase of growth. At BiofuelCircle, we see this potential in India's biomass supply chain, where technology-led planning, efficient aggregation and optimised logistics can minimise wastage, improve resource utilisation and unlock greater value from agricultural residue".

LinkedIn's Global Green Skills Report 2026 examines green skills growth across countries and industries, the changing energy workforce and barriers to accessing green careers.

LinkedIn defines green talent as a member with at least two green skills such as -- Decommissioning, Environment Management, Hazard Identification -- or a green job title like -- Environment, Health and Safety Manager.