Fast Company cites that:

Massive investments in clean energy promise to keep farmers, urban planners, and green-tech entrepreneurs in business for the next decade.

And they bring us a list of the ten best green jobs for the next decade.

Farmer

Forester

Solar Power Installer

Energy efficiency builder

Wind Turbine Fabricator

Conservation Biologist

Green MBA and Entrepreneur

Recycler

Sustainability Systems Developer

Urban Planner

What I found interesting in this report, and a comment that fits well with traditional employment in tough times is the emphasis on consulting services.

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I can’t resist a plug for my alma mater, The Thunderbird School of Global Management. (Those of you who keep an eye on who went where to school where, should note that Josh Dorfman, The Lazy Environmentalist is a graduate too!)

For the second year, Thunderbird will be hosting the Annual Sustainable Innovation Summit, a global competition for business school students. Last year, the challenge attracted 118 teams from 59 universities and 15 countries.

Student teams are challenged with developing sustainable innovative business solutions for real-world companies and compete for a $20,000 prize and the title: Global Champions of Sustainable Innovation.

Reflective of the changing manner of education and working groups in the 21^st century teams can be made of students within a single school, within a single major or cross functional teams at different universities. As long as at least one member of the team is currently enrolled in an MBA program or has earned a graduate degree in business; you’re good to go.

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What’s to know about it, from an insider’s perspective? Let me tell you, it was a tremendously beneficial experience, on an educational, personal and professional level. I gained confidence, learning extensively how to give a great presentation, even enjoy the experience, from a starting point of utter terror. I learned how to work in teams, of varying strengths, skills, and personalities, and how to manage when things become, well, unmanageable. I got a broad and deep understanding of what’s going on in the realm of sustainability, in terms of business, government, and society as a whole. And beyond that, I saw how the emerging sustainable business paradigm overlaps with the existing, and how to bridge between the two.

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But first, let me tell you what else I know, and I invite you to fill in the blanks. There are now several programs out there, such as the esteemed Bainbridge Graduate Institute up in Washington state, which has been around roughly the same amount of time as Presidio. They offer both a full MBA and two certificate programs, in Sustainable Business, Entrepreneurship, and Intrapreneurship. The certificate programs are aimed for those already in business, or who have already gotten an MBA.

The Green MBA program is another early entrant into this realm, and recently underwent what seems a helpful transformation, relocating to Dominican College in San Rafael, California. They currently offer an MBA in Sustainable Enterprise. As before, they have a social justice/activist leaning, in addition to their business education. Judging by their website, the future looks promising for this program, with a stronger integration between academic learning and active engagement with the real world.

In Europe, a dynamic, creative, real world oriented business program of a different flavor exists, known as KaosPilots.

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More and more, small and mid-size business are turning to ‘green professionals’ to help make their business more eco-friendly. As one questions often begets another, such is the case here. If businesses are increasingly looking outside of their staff for help greening their establishments, where can they find a reliable source for green consultants?

Well, Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) in Seattle, Washington is a pretty good answer. Founded in 2002 by Elizabeth and Gifford Pinochet, Jill Bamburg and Dr. Sherman Severin, the university sprung out of the desire to have people with the "global values become good at business." Today, the university boasts an accredited Sustainable MBA program and two certificate programs: one in Sustainable Business and one in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship. Thought to be the first university of its kind, Bainbridge breaks the mold of traditional graduate schooling.

The academic programs offered by Bainbridge are, at the same time, cutting-edge and pertinent. The university is the perfect solution for any kind of student looking for graduate coursework in sustainable business. Whether you have three years to dedicate to an MBA, or just a few months to devote to a sustainable business certificate, there is something for everybody.

The caliber of faculty at the university only serves to solidify the authenticity of Bainbridge’s commitment to sustainable education. Besides having PhDs, the teachers at Bainbridge are also small business owners, corporate business moguls, and qualified specialists who have all dedicated their professional lives to sustainable business practices. Who better to learn from than people who have been through it all before?

Aside from its academic focus in sustainability, the BGI is run according to sustainable principals. Students in both the MBA and the certificate programs meet as little as possible (anywhere from once a week to once a month), with most of the course work being done over the internet. This is to decrease the amount of energy used in transportation to and from the university, as well as to decrease the amount of energy used in the university’s facilities.

Further, the Bainbridge campus, Islandwood, a large, LEED® Gold-Certified campus on Bainbridge Island, is "home to 240 acres of trails, sustainably designed meeting spaces and lodges, locally raised food and state-of-the-art classroom technology."

Aside from working with the students of Bainbridge to further sustainable ideals, the university also reaches out to the community on a monthly basis. According to Bainbridge Graduate Institute, the Sustainable Business Speaker Series brings "sustainability thought leaders, business executives and social entrepreneurs" to Islandwood’s Great Hall to give lectures and provide inspiration to both students and members of the general public.

Of course, Bainbridge isn’t the only game in town for graduate-level sustainable business education. The Presidio School of Management’s Sustainable MBA program also provides the convenience of low residency requirements with a distinguished faculty. The biennial Beyond Grey Pinstripes report ranks more traditional MBA programs "that are integrating issues of social and environmental stewardship into curricula and research." Graduate work in sustainable business may be as close as your local college or university.

(photos courtesy of bainbridge Graduate Institute)