The expansion of employment opportunities in the future will be significantly influenced by environmental, social, and governance standards. This is according to the World Economic Forum's recent "Future of Jobs" report.

OFM's Dane Beisheim spoke with Prof. Leopoldt van Huyssteen, Academic Head and Director at the Academy of Environmental Leadership in the Northern Cape.

Environmental stewardship is increasingly seen as a core key requirement and is given higher priority than what companies used to consider beforehand.

“So they know that they have to employ more environmentalists or people with environmentalist skills. Because environmental science is pivotal for companies to fulfill governance and environmental footprints.”

Professor van Huyssteen adds that environmental skills are increasingly becoming more important in related fields such as agriculture, which has a direct impact on food security.

“It has been said that in the top 40 depositions in the world, there are at least 10 that are environmentally related, and they are.”

“There are three environmental jobs, and they are among the top 10 jobs in the world. So it's an upcoming world of work and an upcoming employment field.”

With South Africa being a water-scarce country, Professor van Huyssteen is pleased that companies will henceforth be expected to provide greater transparency and responsible reporting on their environmental impact.

“South Africa is strong in agriculture and agriculture exports. We have a focus on agriculture and then, of course, mining, and solar and wind farms. This is basically where we focus, but of course, it includes plants and animals.”

OFM Agri