As a physics major with a degree from Tsinghua University, Yu Binghui could have found work almost anywhere. Yet he picked a field that most people had barely heard of just four years ago - the so-called "green" industry.

Yu chose to work at a Qingdao-based company that offers environmental solutions for large construction companies.

"I want to play a role in making a green planet," he says. "We help our clients evaluate the environmental costs of their projects and use energy efficiently. Some solutions are simple like installing low-flow toilets and switching to 100 percent recycled printing paper."

Yu is now one of 3 million people currently employed in China's green industry. That number will rise by 15 percent every year through the end of 2010 due to China's growing commitment to the environment, according to a State Environmental Protection Administration of China report released in July.

"Most green jobs are in making products for environmental protection and waste treatment. But in the coming years, more consulting talent will be needed as companies try to go green," says Hao Jian, a human resources and career consultant with Zhaopin.com.

The trend includes not only independent consulting firms like Yu's, but also in-house departments. One is Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co, which established such a department a decade ago. The department employs around 100 of the company's 2,000 workers and is responsible for reducing pollution and making energy use more efficient in its factories.

Part of the effort is in water conservation. "All wastewater can be used to cool equipment and flush toilets," says Fu Shoujie, the deputy HR manager of Guangzhou Honda.

That saves Honda 343,500 cu m water every year - and about 620,000 yuan.

"It not only helps us cut costs, but it also helps us improve Honda's image as a responsible manufacturer," says Fu.

As the fight against global warming intensifies, graduates from a range of disciplines, including the sciences, business and communications will be needed.

"Backgrounds in environmental science or engineering are required if you want research or design jobs. But we also need people who can sell equipment and communicate with customers," says Li Xingwen, manager of Tsinghua Ziguang Environmental Protection Co.

Li gets dozens of resumes from college students every day. He thinks it's relatively easy for new graduates to get a job related to environmental protection because the industry is new and in need of talent.

"The main problem is that young people leave campus feeling idealistic. But actually, this is a tough industry. You have to communicate, persuade or negotiate with people about business."

Kyoto cash

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in physics from Shantou University four years ago, Peng Jinhua entered a totally new arena. He began helping Chinese companies earn money by reducing their carbon dioxide emissions.

Peng's job was created by the Kyoto Protocol, a 2005 international agreement on carbon dioxide reduction. The protocol says that by 2010 industrialized signatory countries must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 percent compared with 1990.

A trading mechanism enabled by the protocol allows public or private entities from industrialized countries to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries, earning credits to offset their own emissions.

Peng's job is to collect carbon credits in China and then sell them in industrialized countries such as Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. The business is good for both the buyers and sellers.

"Industrialized countries offer high technology to Chinese companies. This helps to make them green. And industrialized countries can get emission credits at a low price," says Peng.

Industrialized countries are willing to do this because the cost of reducing the same amount of carbon dioxide emissions in their own countries is much higher.

"For example, reducing 1 ton of carbon emissions will cost more than 100 euros in developed countries. But if they help Chinese companies reduce 1 ton of emissions and then buy the credits, it costs only 10 euros," says Peng.

In searching for carbon candidates, he travels a great deal around the country. He must find Chinese companies who have the potential to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. "If you want to do this job, you must be smart enough to find out whether companies have the potential to significantly reduce their emissions," he says.

That is where his physics background comes in handy - it helps him determine the techniques and facilities for companies to cut emissions. Backgrounds in environmental engineering, physics, chemistry and even English are also helpful, he says.

"English is important because materials about latest technology and facilities are written in English," says Peng. "You also need English to communicate with your foreign clients."

New fields for graduates

Lin Dale, a 25-year-old working at an environmental protection consulting company in Beijing, has seen the company's business grow substantially in the past two years.

"We have an influx of clients who appreciate what we do and desperately want us to help them go green," he says. Lin graduated from Beijing University of Chemical Technology in 2004. "A few years ago, few people cared about environmental protection."

The change has come because companies realize that going green just doesn't just benefit the environment - it also benefits them. "They can reduce their costs by using energy more efficiently," he says.

Lin's company helps manufacturers, energy companies and communities create energy-saving projects or facilities by developing plans to help clients install clean energy systems.

A traditional power plant design may waste one-third of its fuel in heat that is lost into the atmosphere. A further 10 percent of electricity might be wasted in transmission and distribution.

"That means almost half of the fuel is not used productively by the plant," says Lin. "We can help such a plant design a new system in which 90 percent of the fuel is used productively."

His job requires that he visit his client's companies to help find the right solutions. "We do everything the client requires. For example, we help them get a project up and running. We offer them advice and help them install the equipment."

Lin studied mechanical engineering and industrial design at university. In his spare time he studies environmental policies and planning. He's considering going to graduate school.

"I think a master's degree or even a PhD related to the environment is very important for this area. The more you learn, the more you know how to find solutions for your client."

(China Daily February 25, 2008)