Future bright for green economy in Illinois: study

Solar panel Photo credit Getty Images

By Rob Hart

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Tens of thousands of workers in Illinois are employed in green jobs, and that number will grow substantially, a new study says.

Conducted by the nonprofit Working Nation, the study found that the bulk of the green jobs in Illinois are concentrated in the Chicago area.

Paula DiPerna, the group’s special advisor, said green jobs cover a wide swath of professions. They range from water efficiency engineers to people who sell solar panels at Costco, she said.

She added that green jobs can be found in the finance department. Take carbon accounting, for example.

"It's the footprint of all the suppliers and materials that are purchased and what goes into a product compared to its environmental impact," DiPerna said.

She added that publicly traded companies are required to disclose environmental risk.