Green Skills Series: Exploring the Convergence of Environmental Sustainability and Space Technology

Understanding Green Skills

Climate change, resource depletion and pollution are global environmental challenges, with significant implications for our planet. Given these challenges, there has been an increased focus on the ‘green economy’ and ‘green jobs’ as governments across the world move to tackle climate change, and as the global ‘low carbon’ economy grows.

Green Skills, according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), are “the knowledge abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society.”

These skills are essential for creating jobs that support sustainable development, addressing climate change, preserving natural resources and the transition to a greener economy. They are critical across various sectors, as governments and industries increasingly focus on reducing their environmental impact and meeting net zero emissions targets.

However, the growing demand for sustainability skills exceeds what the workforce can offer. This shortage is referred to as the ‘the green skills gap.’ According to the Global Green Skills Report, one-third of all jobs advertised in the UK required at least one ‘green skill,’ and around the world, only one in eight workers has one or more ‘green skills.’

The Need for Green Skills in the Space Sector

Traditionally, the space sector has been seen as high-tech and resource-intensive, but the tech and space sectors are increasingly being called upon to adopt more sustainable practices, and can play a vital role in ensuring governments and businesses embrace sustainable policies and operations.

The latest Space Sector Skills Survey (2023) shows the rapid growth of employment in the sector, but the sector has a demand for specific ‘green’ skills like sustainable engineering, green materials science and lifecycle assessment, which can aid space mission design and launch.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has been pioneering the integration of eco-design in satellite construction and green skills are also being used to design satellites and launch systems that are more energy-efficient, use eco-friendly materials and fuels, minimise environmental disruption and have a reduced impact on space debris.

Further, the space industry plays a crucial role in monitoring the Earth’s environment, including climate change, deforestation, ice-sheet melting and pollution. This requires expertise in data analysis, satellite technology and environmental science.

Many countries, including the UK, are already facing a shortage of experts in sustainability and environmental science. Whilst it will be critical to integrate green skills into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, with a focus on space, to help fill this skills gap in the coming years, and upskill the current workforce to be trained in green skills, through workshops, courses, and certifications, in the immediate efforts to meet the demand, space companies can use the immigration policies to leverage international talent and drive sustainable practices within their business and sector.

By prioritising green skills in their operations and research, space companies can attract skilled international talent who specialise in areas such as eco-design, green engineering and sustainable technologies and the space industry can enhance its capacity to innovate in green practices.

Governments and companies in the sector must work together as international collaboration and immigration policies that facilitate the entry of these professionals could significantly bolster the industry’s efforts to meet sustainability goals and advance eco-friendly space missions.

Looking Ahead

Companies in the sector should aim to take proactive measures to attract talent and foster innovation in this key sector. The role that immigration policies can play in supporting the growth of the UK’s space industry should be an important consideration.

In the UK, businesses will soon be called upon to provide valuable feedback on the current immigration system via The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the UK Government’s independent advisor on immigration policy.

The MAC is yet to provide details on how it will facilitate this engagement with its latest review, which will include Engineering professionals, but those details are expected in the weeks ahead.  In the meantime, Fragomen recommends that all businesses reliant on immigration begin data-gathering preparations to address the issues highlighted above so that they are ready for engagement with MAC.

Businesses are ideally positioned to provide valuable feedback on the current immigration system, with firsthand experience of the challenges and limitations of the system; of difficulties of adapting and training, and why efforts and time taken to do so, though continuing and worthwhile, may be deficient in response to immediate and evolving demands. For companies operating in the space sector, it is crucial to engage with the process and provide insights to ensure that immigration policies reflect the real needs of the industry.

Companies should have data-driven analysis, focused on where they experience shortages, the number of unfilled roles, time to fill roles, how long it takes to upskill and attempts underway to train and ideas for change. Businesses can also evidence the importance of access to a steady flow of international talent to foster and sustain innovation and make suggestions for wider changes.

Need to Know More?

For more information or questions on navigating the UK immigration system and the space sector, please contact Senior Manager Laxmi Limbani at [email protected] or Fragomen’s Space Industry Team.

This blog was published on 27 September 2024, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.