Penny Joseph, Head of Climate Resilience at Ausgrid, has forecast all future jobs will incorporate an element of climate mitigation, extending across the STEM disciplines and beyond.

Joseph made these remarks while speaking to The Business Of, a podcast from UNSW Business School, about the energy sector's adaptation to climate change and the skills required to address its impact. While her job didn't exist a few years ago, Joseph sees it becoming standard practice one day.

"I expect that everybody will have climate resilience and climate mitigation as part of their roles. Everyone will be playing a part if they’re not already," Joseph stated, emphasising the pervasive influence of climate change on future job roles. "Resilience means we’ve thought through the risks of the future and have strategies in place to be prepared for that. But resilience is also being prepared for things you might not know about or might not expect to happen.”

An engineer with an MBA, Joseph has previously held transformational roles in the aerospace and solar industries. She credits her diverse background for her ability to approach problems holistically.

Joseph's work involves engaging with people in vulnerable communities, climate experts, and those within the energy industry, including climate change deniers. She advocates for breaking down the complex task of finding solutions to climate change into smaller, achievable parts.

"Gathering and understanding evidence, such as heat data, is crucial to articulate potential impact and create a strong economic case for action," Joseph said. “It is hard, because often you need to make decisions in a timeframe where you haven’t received all the data. I think the best leaders are making good decisions with incomplete information. I don’t know whether failing is the enemy here, or whether it’s doing nothing. If you do nothing, that’s also a problem. And that’s not going to be good enough for the future.”

Dr Juliet Bourke, host of The Business Of and a leading academic at UNSW Business School, concurs with Joseph's views. She believes climate change mitigation is a key skill for future leaders.

“It’s clear from Penny’s experience that climate change mitigation is a key skill for leaders of tomorrow – and not yet something you can learn in an MBA," she commented. "Hearing about the skill mix she’s acquired and her capacity to bring together varied expertise is a fascinating insight into the future of work."