Milder winters, warmer summers, and fiercer storms are a constant reminder of global warming and the need to make more eco-conscious choices. Gen Z are reporting increasing levels of climate anxiety, and more of us are looking for workplaces that care about the planet, as well as the bottom line.
Some of us want to go beyond this and work for companies actively looking at creating a more sustainable future. Step in Cleantech, one of the niches of the technology industry looking to tackle these problems.
We uncover some of the emerging trends in the industry, some of the top jobs on offer, and the Cleantech companies to watch over the next year.
What the heck is Cleantech?
Cleantech is short for clean technology and is an umbrella term that covers a range of ways that current technologies are being adapted to have less of a negative impact on our planet. This includes clean energy and sustainable, environmental, or green products or services.
Cleantech revolutionises traditionally harmful industries (such as energy and transport) with innovative ways of transforming environmental impact for the better.
It’s big business and is an industry that will continue to grow exponentially! In 2015, the COP21 event saw world leaders sign the Paris Agreement, which set a number of long-term goals to achieve new zero, limiting greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. This means that governments across the globe are investing and supporting businesses that are working to offer renewable energy and environmentally friendly alternatives to existing technologies.
Far from simply addressing greenhouse gas emissions, Cleantech also addresses soil, air and water pollution and creates new ways of addressing recycling and waste.
Climate tech, on the other hand, addresses ways of actively removing greenhouse gases from the environment through reforestation (creating new forests) and carbon capture as well as geoengineering to alter the climate system, reducing the effects of climate change.
Is Cleantech growing?
Yes! Cleantech is growing substantially. In 2022, the top 100 Cleantech companies in the world raised $6.7 billion (about £5.5 billion) in investment.
Familiar businesses want a slice of the pie too; the Circular Electronics Partnership (CEP) saw Microsoft, Dell, Amazon and Google join forces to help build a circular economy for electronics by 2030 and high street coffee shop Costa is trialling the use of blockchain technology to make it easier for its customers to caffeinate responsibly.
Since 2011, the UK’s Cleantech and sustainability sector has raised more than 2,500 equity rounds, worth a total value of £5.29 billion. And with the ongoing energy crisis in the UK, Cleantech is hotter than ever.
Read more: 13 jobs you’ve never heard of (but are set to soar in 2023)
What qualifications do you need to work in Cleantech?
There is a huge breadth of roles and career pathways available in Cleantech, and new roles are being created every day. With a lot of companies growing from nothing in the last couple of years, Cleantech professionals are in demand.
Engineering is a particularly beneficial skill to have, but we mean this in the loosest sense. Talented computer engineers and software developers are needed to develop and create apps and computer systems, and manage data, while architects, mechanical, and structural engineers create and design physical products.
For those looking to enter Cleantech as an engineer, you will need to have completed a relevant degree or enter the industry as an apprentice. Either way, you’ll need strong academic foundations in maths and science.
Mathematics is also a skill that Cleantech companies are looking for in new hires. Analytical brains that are able to digest huge data sets and predict outcomes such as annual impact are highly sought-after.
Most graduate-level and above roles require a degree or masters in a subject such as mathematics, engineering, material science, chemistry, physical sciences or something more specialist such as environmental engineering, sustainable design and construction, energy, or low carbon. However, due to the nature of the industry, often a range of degrees and experience from applicants is welcomed.
As Cleantech is an emerging industry, it relies heavily on innovation and collaboration from a variety of sources such as the oil and gas industry, academic institutions, investors, and governments. Therefore, many people working in this sector at a higher level, such as subject matter experts, will have completed or are completing research at a PhD level or above.
As with any industry, operational roles such as marketing, sales, HR, and operations all emerge from companies that are growing out of this trend. Most likely you’ll have relevant qualifications and experience within your area of expertise, rather than the technology itself, although a scientific background could be an advantage.
What types of jobs are available in Cleantech?
Average salary: £51,022
Cleantech is an emerging field, so research is incredibly important. A research analyst is a professional who prepares and collects data and creates both quantitative and qualitative analyses and reports in order to inform how products and services progress.
Most analysts have a mathematical or statistical degree or a background in science or engineering.
Average salary: £52,072
A project engineer is a professional who is responsible for all technical and engineering elements of a specific project or projects.
They plan, schedule, manage tasks and ensure that everything runs smoothly. Effectively, they’re engineers who are acting rather like a project manager.
With many Cleantech companies creating new technologies, this is a job much in demand!
Average salary: £75,118
A Java developer is a specialised type of programmer who works with web developers and software engineers to integrate Java into business applications, software, and websites.
As Java is used widely, including in Cleantech, there tend to be thousands of roles available for programmers who are confident in Java.
Average salary: £47,282
Bioengineering, or biological engineering, is a science-based discipline founded upon the biological sciences. In general, bioengineers attempt to either mimic biological systems or modify and control biological systems to create products.
In Cleantech this might look like leveraging microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, to create new ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, limiting waste, and lessening the strain we put on our planet.
It’s a super interesting role that requires a degree in bioengineering or a related discipline.
Average salary: £48,010 plus commission
With any emerging technology, the proof is in the sales figures. Companies need to seek further investment in order to grow, and they need someone spearheading sales to prove that their product or technology is worth investing in.
You’ll need to be a people person, who can build strong relationships with clients. Most probably you’d be working really closely with the company’s c-suite.
Sales professionals in Cleantech don’t necessarily need to have experience in the industry, but they’ll need to be great at sales. A scientific background at a degree level would certainly be a benefit.
Average salary: £42,396
Operations managers oversee all operational activities at all levels of the business. For companies that are building something like electric vehicles, the operations manager would oversee everything from factory management, parts and fulfilment, and things like storage and warehousing.
You’ll need to be organised and strategic, and be able to find new ways of creating streamlined processes. In this industry, you’ll probably also need a strong understanding of how to improve processes to make them greener. It’s a job that’s in demand in an industry that is heavily product based.
Cleantech companies to watch
Conigital
Conigital is utilising AI and machine learning techniques to make autonomous electric vehicle technology that works alongside ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft and fleet management systems to reduce the congestion on our roads. All while using electrically powered vehicles.
They recently won two contracts, totalling £32.6 million. One to establish a remote driving control hub, to oversee self-driving vehicles operating in Solihull and Coventry and another to trial on-demand, self-driving taxis, to complement existing transport services in parts of Cambridge.
It sounds like we’ll be experiencing driverless cars sooner than we might have thought.
It is clear that this Midlands-based business is going to be growing substantially over the next twelve months and beyond!
Find out how Solihull is set to benefit from joint government and industry funding to make automated shuttle routes a reality in the West Midlands https://t.co/LLHLwxpnGN pic.twitter.com/nO7DdHSGTq
— Solihull Council (@SolihullCouncil) February 1, 2023
Flux Aviation is on a mission to remove 200 million tonnes of CO2 annually from the atmosphere by electrifying some of the most inefficient and polluting aircraft.
They produce integrated battery-electric powertrains that are already compatible with many existing types of aircraft meaning that existing crafts are not wasted. As well as emitting zero greenhouse gases at the point of use they’re more reliable, reducing the time spent on pre-flight checks.
They’re already working with several aircraft manufacturers and will be doing their first test flights in 2023.
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Oxford Photovoltaics is a company that’s revolutionising the efficiency of solar power. In the past, especially in the UK, solar has been an inefficient form of clean energy and Oxford PV are working to change that.
By increasing the power produced per square metre of solar cells, the cost of the energy produced is lowered which they hope will accelerate the adoption of solar.
When energy costs are such a hot topic, this technology could become increasingly in demand.
We’re in the final! Very proud to say that we’ve been shortlisted for an E&T Innovation Award. @EandTmagazine @IETawards @IETevents https://t.co/gNJiQfDZDQ pic.twitter.com/x91UEKM8y5
— Oxford PV (@OxfordPV) October 17, 2022
Elmo provides a vehicle subscription to make the switch to electric cars easy. The subscription package includes insurance, maintenance, breakdown, vehicle excise duty and congestion charges as standard (as well as the car!). It’s like Netflix but for a car.
It’s a lot more flexible and cost-effective than vehicle leasing, where you need to pay a hefty deposit. Elmo is now part of the Constellation Automotive Group which also owns brands Cinch and We Buy Any Car.
Early this year, the company also launched elmoCharge, a pay-as-you-go energy card that allows customers to access 23,000 charge points UK-wide. This is one more way that they’re making the switch to electric vehicles even simpler.
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Xampla creates natural alternatives to single-use plastics. The team have created the world’s first plant protein material for commercial use. It acts and looks like plastic, but decomposes naturally without harming the environment.
As well as replacing single-use plastics such as sachets, the material can also be used to replace the microplastics we find in liquids and lotions.
A finalist for the Sustainable Tech Business Award at the 2022 Go:Tech Awards, Xampla has raised £9.4m to date.
COP27 has officially come to an end
Despite it being one of our planet’s most urgent issues, COP has yet again finished with little to no outcomes for dealing with plastic.
We are on a mission to replace plastic with our #NextGeneration alternative. pic.twitter.com/lNlVNJQiLX
— Xampla (@XamplaUK) November 22, 2022
LAT Water focuses on our most crucial resource, water. The company has created wastewater treatment technologies that provide a sustainable long-term solution for on-site clean water separation. It also uses recirculated heat to operate, making this a highly efficient and low-energy treatment and desalination solution.
For the user, this leads to a 50 – 75% reduction in running costs and the company has already produced 11 international patents for their technologies.
They’ve also received £ 2.5 million in awards for innovation and a further £7 million in investment.
In January 2021, LAT Water completed the installation of a wastewater treatment plant at Broadpath Landfill in Devon, UK. The plant is treating raw leachate.
Find out more on our website https://t.co/n0AtSgKHiD pic.twitter.com/dGi96KLYbl
— LAT Water Limited (@LATWaterLtd) February 10, 2023
Tokamak is working to produce clean energy through fusion (the joining together of hydrogen atoms).
Since their first working prototype in 2013, the company has secured £123m in equity fundraising across 10 rounds, as well as at least £11.4m in innovation grants. The green energy company’s January 2020 raise, totalling £67m, is being used to accelerate its plans to build a fusion reactor by 2030.
With a team of over 200 employees and plenty of roles advertised, they’re a company to watch.
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Feel like a move into Cleantech could be a great career move? Search for sustainability jobs, and green jobs on Adzuna.
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