Concerned about the climate? You could help tackle global warming through your work
The new year is off to a sweltering start, with heatwaves across southern Australia, and bushfires and floods around the continent.
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Program, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record. Which two years did it fail to beat? 2023 and 2024. Ouch.
Climate change is already affecting how we work, and it’s going to become more intense in the coming years.
But there are things you can do to tackle the challenges posed by climate change. You will be able to find work in monitoring and mitigating climate change.
Here are 3 sectors that will need climate-literate people working in them in the future.
Tackling health at the community scale
When natural disasters strike, like bushfires and floods, there’s a lot of physical rebuilding that needs to be done. But people also need support for their health and sense of community.
Dr Kylie McIntyre, a researcher in trauma at La Trobe University, has researched how people respond to flooding disasters in Australia.
“After traumatic events, it is normal for people to feel helpless, hopeless, anxious, and overwhelmed,” she said.
“Valued activities such as work, self-care, and leisure are usually disrupted and individuals may question the meaning of life or ‘why’ this has happened to them.”
She said communities can support people affected by disaster with practical things, like clothing or transport, as well as community gatherings where people can have company.
“It is important that people are supported to restore meaning, everyday routines, and a sense of belonging.”
Monitoring the Earth from land, sea, and space
An important part of responding to climate change is to keep a close eye on it: tracking air, land and ocean temperatures, and the effects of these changes.
These trends can help us to prepare when weather patterns change, or when disasters strike.
There’s lots of different types of work in climate monitoring. If you’re interested in space, you could work with satellites that monitor global temperatures. (This is how the Copernicus program tracks temperature records!)
If spending time on a boat sounds appealing to you, you could head into marine science, where researchers go on sea voyages to monitor the remotest parts of the ocean.
Or, if you’d like to stay closer to land, you can work in ecology – at the coast or far inland!
Dr Scott Bennett, a marine ecologist at the University of Tasmania, said it’s important to track marine ecosystems as the climate changes, alongside lowering emissions.
“Protecting these ecosystems means tackling the root cause of warming – slashing climate pollution,” Scott said.
“This must also be paired with increased investment in scientific monitoring and coastal conservation projects that give these systems a fighting chance to adapt and survive.”
Taking policy to the streets…and the houses
Policymakers and leaders need STEM-literate people both to help design a lower-emissions future, and to help adapt to the current effects of climate change.
While this might look like working on large-scale energy and engineering projects, it could also head into city streets and communities.
Emma Bacon, CEO of advocacy group Sweltering Cities, said that dangerous heat is an increasingly important issue for Australian houses.
“When temperatures climb past 40°C, renters in poorly insulated homes, people who can’t afford to keep cool and insecure workers who are hit first and hardest,” she said.
In addition to stopping the burning of coal, oil, and gas, Emma said that homes and workplaces needed to be redesigned.
“People are telling us they need cooler, safer homes, shaded streets, access to affordable cooling and planning that puts community safety first.”
Read more:
- Job Kit: Geostorage Engineer
- Become a green electrician
