There are so many definitions of what a green job is, that it's now getting to the point where it's difficult to know what a green job is. And the difficulty is increased by the lack of clear and agreed upon definitions of a green company and the categories of green products or services (is nuclear clean? is "clean coal" really clean?).

So to add to the confusion, I'll add my 2 cents to the discussion. A green job is:

• A job at an association or non-profit engaged in environmental matters. You can research these associations easily at theGreenJobBank. These include among many others: activist organizations, think tanks, and manufacturers associations.
• A job at a State or Federal Government agency protecting the environment (EPA or similar agency at the state level)
• A job at a technology startup company that works on renewable energy technology, or new recycling methods, or electric or hybrid automotive technology.
• A job at an established company (i.e. not a startup) that derives more than half of its revenue from green products or services.
• A job at an established company (small or medium) that employs more than half of its employees in green products or services activities.
• Finally there are green jobs at large companies like GE or BP that have entire divisions dedicated to renewable energy technologies, such as BP Solar or GE Energy

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These jobs are not just technology jobs. Accounting jobs at a green energy startup are green jobs. Legal, marketing, sales, human resources and accounting jobs can all be green, depending on the company.

All that being said, there is a definition that I like from the United nations. Their Environment Programme report offers this definition:

"We define green jobs as work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high-efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution."