‘Green Skills’ : (What Do Companies Do With It? The Case of Building Automation)

In recent times, ‘Green Skills’ has become a buzzword in international, national and local policies. Green Skills are considered to be an important precondition to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. However, until now, there has been a research gap in how companies, characterised by the particularities of their business, introduce Green Skills. This study analyses how actors understand Green Skills and how they perceive whether the company meets related requirements for Green Skills. The focus is on building automation, a sector that is considered key in reducing the CO2 footprint of construction. Taking the example of Cologne, a metropolitan area in Germany with above-average summer heat, and by using qualitative methods, the study shows that companies need, in particular, employees with digital skills, skills in working with environmental regulation, skills to cooperate across trades and crafts in the value chain and the ability of cross-cutting environmental awareness. The study illustrates that Green Skills cannot simply be defined as a particular category of skills, because Green Skills intersect with other skills; at the same time, Green Skills in building automation show characteristics that are also relevant when considering other businesses.