Luke Judge: Hello and welcome to the first talk in today's CareerCon Monthly Climate Series. We're delighted to welcome our first speaker of the day, and that's Martin Baxter, who's the Deputy Chief Executive of IEMA. Um, and who could do any better job than Martin to explain to us what All about IEMA and his role there. So without further ado, Martin, thank you for joining us today. We're really pleased to have you with us and thank you for your time. Um, please tell us about yourself. And, and how you came to be with IEMA and who IEMA is as an organisation.

Martin Baxter: Great. Well, thank you, Luke, and really for looking forward to our conversations. So yeah, my role as deputy chief exec, um, is a strange one in some ways because it's externally facing, I'm talking about environment and sustainability, either with governments or with boards of companies really getting them motivated to drive. action first on a bigger scale and secondly faster. Um, I also chair a group in the International Standards Organisation. I have a hundred countries in my committee and we are developing global standards to help organizations to drive, um, action on sustainability. And strangely, I also have the finance role as well. So I look after the money. So, um, and kind of one top tip for people on sustainability, follow the money and you can certainly start to see where you can make improvements.

As an organisation. Yeah, as an organization, IEMA is a professional body. So we're a membership association of sustainability professionals of about 22, 000 individuals in over 100 countries around the world. And we support them with knowledge, insight, understanding, um, we recognize them through formal qualifications. And we also harness their experience and expertise to what I call is help to change the rules of the game. So. Who better to inform governments around what needs to change in terms of sustainability than people actually kind of doing the job and can see what the blockers are. And then once those laws do change, and we've had some successes in that, then it's around then, okay, well, how do we help those people to make the best of those opportunities to be change agents in the world of work? And I think that's going to be the topic of our conversation, isn't it?

Luke Judge: Yeah, what? And that's a perfect phrase. Change agents in the world of work and with a particular lens on sustainability and climate action. The first thing I've heard from from you there that's really stood out there, Martin, is the global nature of IEMA and therefore the global nature of future career opportunities in this really important area. I think you mentioned 100 countries. Um, globally. So maybe let's start start with that and kind of talk about the global expansive nature for for those who potentially are in a in a country wanting to look further afield or didn't know that they're in a country that may have some career opportunities in this space.

Martin Baxter: Yeah, I mean, I think what's really interesting is that the transition to a net zero future and also becoming more resilient to climate change, you know, the two go hand in hand, um, actually creates job opportunities and employment. We have to reconfigure nationally economies around the world. Part of the Paris climate change agreement is, is to do that.And that comes with some real opportunities for employment. Um, you know, we need to. Reconfigure the way in which we use power. Um, so big investments are going into renewable energy. Um, and that, you know, creates job opportunities and the transition to a cleaner, greener future, um, looks on the face of it to be net positive for jobs.

So green jobs are on the up and the many countries around the world. Young people are sometimes struggling for employment. So there's a real opportunity for politicians to connect both their commitments to a net zero future that they have to kind of give as part of the Paris Agreement, but also to translate that into jobs and action that really helps to motivate people to be part of the solution. And I think that's, that's one of the things that we've really been pushing. Um, I was lucky enough to be at the last few COPs, um, most recently in Dubai at COP 28. And that was a big agenda item for us was to get the recognition about capacity building and skills into the conclusions of that COP. And now we need to push forward and get governments to support that with tangible policies and investment and action.

Luke Judge: Yeah, really interesting. So there's an opportunity to not only do good coming into this sector, but also do well as it's an area of new opportunities for young people. Martin, what's, what's, how do you perceive the role of young people of youth in the environmental sustainability efforts that you're, that you're speaking about and that you see? And, and why is that crucial to have young people coming into this space to help address, um, environmental challenges going forward? Yeah,

Martin Baxter: so it's a great question. It's really important. I mean, the challenges that we face, whether it's on climate change, poor air quality. a biodiversity crisis, plastic pollution. I mean everywhere we look we see some challenges but also we see opportunities and we know that there are solutions to these. And I think, you know, engaging young people is really important. Firstly, they're, they're impacted just like everybody else is with the, the kind of the environmental degradation. So kind of being part of the solution becomes important there. But also crucially, they're, you know, they're, they are our future leaders, and they are the people who are going to have to come forward with ideas to help to solve this. And it's going to be a multi generational transition. It's not going to be a very, very quick fix. And so I think there's a motivating young people to see themselves as part of the solution and developing careers in this whole area. I think he's good for the planet. It's good for people and it's good for their own personal prosperity too.

Luke Judge: Yeah. Yeah. So win, win, win by the sounds of it. So it's the young people who want to, who are interested in this space. And of course, there's many of them who want to do good and do well. They might be thinking, well, what are my opportunities? What are the different types of career paths I could forge in this space? And, and they may incorrectly think about some stereotypical type roles. Um, but actually there's a vast range of different roles. In fact, you touched upon just three or four of them in your prior, uh, mention of plastics in the sea and biodiversity. So just speaking there, what are the types of opportunities, career pathways that young people can see ahead of them and how do they prepare for those?

Martin Baxter: Yeah. Um, I think, you know, there are, I mean the good news is that there are lots of routes into, um, taking a career that's going to help in the sustainability transition. That's the first thing to recognize. Secondly, um, you can, you know, if you want to go into a full time sustainability, well, the, you know, that I've done and many others have, you know, some people will study at university and there are lots of programs at undergraduate and postgraduate level in sustainability and environmental management, environmental conservation. Um, and so that, that's kind of a fairly traditional one. Um, what we're, Encouragingly, we're seeing now is the growth of what we call degree apprentices, apprenticeships. So here in the UK, for example, where you can earn while you learn. That's a nice phrase, isn't it? So you can be on a degree program and in employment at the same time.

And you have no student that so that's an interesting way of developing some of your practical skills into this. Um, but the, the, the other thing to recognize is that, um, I mean, we use this phrase all jobs greener. So all jobs need to be done in a greener way in this business. in, in the future economy that we're trying to create. And what that does is it opens up opportunities for people in, you know, kind of technical roles and in some traditional trades as well. So as we move to a transport system, which is, uh, based on electrification, and we want that electric power to be distributed. Generated through renewable energy that we need lots and lots of people who are going into electro technical jobs and roles as part of this transition on. Therefore, you might want to train as an electrician and electrical installer. They're going to be massively in in demand everywhere around the world. The way in which we deal with our heating is going to change because lots is going to be changing. Thank you. Heat pumps and various other new technologies.

So, and then we've got, you know, other things which industry is going to be crying out for in terms of hydrogen, maybe some aspects of carbon capture and storage. So suddenly we are seeing this, um, massive expansion of, um, different jobs and roles, which are already out there to a certain extent, not hydrogen and CCS ones, but, you know, electricians and people dealing with heating and all of those actually kind of now starting to come into. Um, being part of this sustainable transition and therefore, depending on your background, your interest, there is going to be a role to play. The final one I'll say is as well is that, um, because there is in some, in quite a lot of the roles, there is kind of quite an emphasis on, um, technical education and maybe some kind of maths and science and that, and we do need a lot of those people, but equally we need people who can support with behaviour change, people who are wonderful communicators who can really get these messages across and help to support campaigns around people doing things differently. Um, and so, you know, I think wherever you look, there are routes that you can start to forge a career that is going to be absolutely critical to this, this transition.

Luke Judge: Yeah, really interesting. So, so actually what I hear there is that, you know, These aren't new, entirely new roles that exist only for climate change and sustainability, but could be a plumber, a mechanic, a marketer, but with green skills embedded within them or green priorities embedded.

Martin Baxter: Yeah, definitely. You know, if you think about engineering design, you know, so designing new products. Yes, you might be developing the next form of renewable energy kind of generation or clean technology, but to be honest, you know, all the technology that we're using on this particular, um, conference needs to be designed with environment and sustainability in mind. So every engineering designer. Needs to have an understanding about how they can build sustainability, climate change, resilience into their designs, whether it's around sourcing materials, the way in which they manufacture, the way in which their products and services are used. It's really exciting, actually, because if we can do this, then it just becomes the way in which every company in the world in the future will do business.

Luke Judge: Yeah. Very interesting indeed. And so for, for the parents listening, for the careers advisors listening, and for young people listening as well, how do they go about equipping themselves, preparing themselves for this, for this great opportunity that's ahead of them that we're talking about? What skills do they need and where do they, where do they find those skills, develop those skills and learn about the opportunities?

Martin Baxter: Yeah, I mean, I think certainly we've been doing some work with careers advisors to give them an insight into the types of jobs that are coming down the track and how to start to give an understanding of, um, the fact that these jobs are durable, they are durable. Uh, well recognized, um, they should be paid well, um, you know, all the things that as a parent you want for your, your, your children, but also you kind of will probably desire, desire yourself. We developed something called the Green Careers Hub, which gives an insight into different roles and job specifications and. The sorts of entry requirements that you might have, um, both in getting into that particular kind of occupation, but then the progression that can be made within that occupation and the sorts of salaries that you can, you can gain.

So really giving that insight into the practical work, um, that's needed. Of course, when we're talking about teachers and tutors and, um, you know, colleges, schools, universities, we also have to give them insights into these new technologies. And I think, um, that's one of the things that we're having to kind of work quite hard about. How do we make sure that the latest technologies and insights are Available for teachers to be able to teach people about and inspire people about as well. So there's a little bit more work to do on that. Um, it's fair to say, but, you know, there is, there are programs that are in action now to be able to do that. So building up that, that, that sense that. You know, you can solving these problems is going to take a long time. The skills that you develop, um, are going to be needed now and they'll be needed in the future. And also the skills that you need are likely to be portable as well. So as you move through your career, um, it might, it might be that this isn't everything that you want to do in your life. And, but being able to communicate, being able to collaborate, being good at managing projects, good at leadership. Um, having some technical knowledge and insight, you know, that makes you a kind of a well rounded employee for any type of organization.

Luke Judge: Yeah, so there's transferable, very much transferable, essential skills, communication, collaboration, problem solving. Critical thinking, you know, those can very much help you in this space.

Martin Baxter: Yeah, and one of the things that we've done in IEMA is we've developed something called the Sustainability Skills Map, um, because I mentioned right at the start about driving change and Therefore, we need people to, um, understand how to get things done and do things differently. And so, and what we do find is when young people get into employment, they can be really enthusiastic, um, but they don't know how businesses operate and therefore they don't know how to get things done and get things changed. So one of the things that we do in IEMA for, uh, younger student members in particular is we have something around what we call soft skills, but. That that probably kind of underplays their importance. These are all the things that are really important in being able to drive change in an organisation. And interestingly, we have, um, coming into the profession because it's relatively new. Um, we have what we call change, change makers, also career changes as well.

So people who are swapping careers, who might have been working in all sorts of different roles in the past in business, and then suddenly they are inspired to. do something on sustainability because they've seen the importance of it. And actually they bring a lot of business skills, which they can then translate once they got the knowledge and understanding into being kind of fantastic change agents as well. So something for everybody.

Luke Judge: Yeah. And something for everybody. And touching on that, when there's A lot of interest in young people in entrepreneurship in various different forms, whether that's as a creator or setting up an e commerce site, but being entrepreneurial. And the other area of great interest in young people is travel, being able to work and travel. At the same time, is this, do you see opportunities and how can young people take advantage of those opportunities to be entrepreneurial, to set up their own business and separately to travel and work at the same time? Is this a, is this a good pathway for them?

Martin Baxter: Yeah, I think it is. I mean, interestingly, I've been speaking to some further education colleges around how do we get more people into heating and plumbing and thinking about the new technologies. And for some people, the motivation might be the fact that they can set up their own company and be their own boss and actually do something good for the planet at the same time. Um, but the motivation becomes the entrepreneurial ship. Um, and therefore, depending on the type of person that we're speaking to and the audience and their. And their personal lives for their careers. Actually, I think you can shape this around, you know, that, that, that business development, the opportunity to be your own boss, to develop something which you can, uh, which, you know, you're going to kind of your solutions are going to be in demand. I think that's really exhilarating for young people, um, and gives them a sense of their own destiny.

Um, so definitely, I think that, and then secondly, you know, the skills that you learn here, there is no part of the world that That isn't going to be in demand for the skills for a cleaner, greener future. That is, you know, the effects of being seen everywhere and the pace of change is growing. And so I think the skills that you, um, learn around, um, sustainability and climate change and driving action to solve some of these problems. Um, you know, you're definitely going to have a future where you can travel and move around and, and engage with people in, in, in different contexts,

Luke Judge: travel sustainably, of course.

Martin Baxter: Um, because we try to travel everywhere by train. So, um, so, yeah, so, um, the other year I went to the G7 in Berlin by train, it took me a lot longer. Um, it was a lot more expensive. And it was 80 percent less carbon intensive. So an 80 percent reduction in climate change emissions, but, um, a lot more money. So trying to redress that balance is really important.

Luke Judge: Yeah. Fantastic and a great example and actually ending on a high Martin, um, and I'm related to careers But I'd love to hear from you which project or success story Um, are you really inspired by I won't say most inspired but really inspired by that's making a big positive impact Um, on on sustainability, you know, to help inspire those to look and research more into this kind of space.

Martin Baxter: I think, um, can I can I give 2 examples? So, um, and so 1 is that I'm really inspired by seeing the changes in the financial services sector, um, where climate risk is being integrated into the way in which, um, Those who are kind of investing in companies, they're lending money, um, they're providing insurance, um, have a huge demand for people in sustainability because they know that the financial consequences to their organization of getting it wrong on sustainability are really significant. And when the finance system says that this is important, then that drives action in business. So having been able to be kind of a supporter of that type of action, then that can catalyze change at scale. Um, the other one is kind of, Very, very different. When I was a COP 28, um, we were engaged with, um, youth leaders from a variety of countries who were, um, entrepreneurial and part of a kind of world climate youth movement and to speak to them around green jobs and skills, whether they were from Eritrea, Mozambique. By every coast, um, and in the U. K. So lots of people from different backgrounds, but they were all motivated by the opportunity to have a great green career. And I think seeing those people, um, articulate their desires and connecting into this agenda gives me great hope for the future. So I think those are. That, that bringing those people together to be able to speak to sustainability leaders and those people able to support them in driving action in different parts of the world is also, um, a key ingredient to the future we're trying to create.

Luke Judge: Fantastic. Thank you, Martin. And I really, I really like both of those examples, especially how one one is transforming itself as a large industry for the future. And that's, you know, more attractive place for people to work in as they think about their careers as well. Um, Martin, that brings us to a, to a conclusion. This has been a fantastic conversation. Um, and hopefully just a starter. For all of those people who are listening today and are inspired to go on and do more research about careers in the climate sustainability arena. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you for sharing your experience and your wisdom, your knowledge of everything you've learned at IEMA. Um, and, and, and, uh, we look forward to learning more about IEMA in the future. Where does anybody who's listening to this, who wants to learn more, where do they find you and where do they find more information about IEMA?

Martin Baxter: So you can easily find me on LinkedIn, so that's a good place to start. Um, you can also find me on X at @ m bax.IEMA, and you can also find us at www.iema.net. Fantastic.

Luke Judge: And also on the hundo website, we have an IEMA profile as well there, which will have all of those details. Martin, thank you very much Deputy Chief Executive of IEMA. It's been an absolute pleasure having you with us today, and I hope to welcome you to future CareerCon Monthly in the future.