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Canada’s green economy is growing so quickly that even in an oil and gas city like Calgary, job seekers with environmental expertise are in demand.

 

That’s according to Michael Kerford, president of environmental labour market organization ECO Canada and one of the organizers of the Green Jobs Forum that took place in Calgary on Wednesday. Touted as the first of its kind in Western Canada, the forum featured over 40 speaker sessions and an exhibit hall for job seekers interested in a “green” career path.

 

“We’re seeing growth that far outweighs the employment growth across other sectors,” said Kerford, adding ECO Canada statistics show more than 1.7 million Canadian workers spend some portion of their time on environmental activities. So-called “green employment” has seen a ten-fold increase over the past two decades, accounting for more than 730,000 Canadian jobs in 2013, he said.

 

That growth isn’t restricted to certain pockets of the country, but is being felt right here in the heart of oil country. According to ECO Canada, 219,287 Albertans are employed in the environmental sector — surpassed only by Ontario, Quebec, and B.C.

 

Kerford said Alberta benefits from its entrepreneurial culture as well as the strength of its post-secondary institutions, which are graduating young people who possess the kind of scientific and technical skills the environmental sector needs.

 

But what many people don’t realize, he added, is that green job opportunities are not just available at non-profits and renewable energy companies, but within the oil and gas sector itself.

 

“They’re responding to changing consumer demands, and they’re responding to regulations that are in place to protect the public,” Kerford said. “The smart companies are already looking forward, and you see them doing some really innovative things.”

 

Wednesday’s career forum featured exhibits from major energy companies like Devon Canada and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, in between booths for environmental groups like the Nature Conservancy of Canada and REAP Calgary.

 

Dave Baines, a senior environmental planner for Shell Canada who spoke at the forum, said oil and gas may not seem like the right fit for an idealistic job-hunter who wants a green career. But he said in his role, he pushes the company every day to do better in the areas of land use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions.

 

“As an environmental professional in the oilpatch, I’m in a position to make change,” he said.

 

Job-hunter Mathias Fenton, who recently graduated from the University of Calgary with a Master’s degree in ecology, said he believes there are many Alberta young people who want to combine their technical expertise with the chance to help the environment. He said he is confident he’ll be able to find a career in Calgary that allows him to do that.

 

“I believe that it’s possible. I don’t actually think it’s bad that it is an oil and gas city, because that means there are a lot of opportunities to get experience,” Fenton said.

 

A report released this week by climate think-tank Clean Energy Canada said employment in the green energy sector has increased nationwide by 37 per cent in the last five years. The report said that in 2013, 23,700 people worked in clean energy manufacturing, power production, energy efficiency, and biofuels — outnumbering the 22,340 people who work in the oilsands.

 

However, the Clean Energy report singled out Alberta and Saskatchewan as jurisdictions that need to do more to promote the growth of the renewable energy sector, saying these two provinces “are not yet pursuing their opportunities with the necessary vigour to unlock our clean energy potential.”