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Free Exchange thinks about what makes a job “green” and how “green jobs” should be counted.

How to define green jobs may not seem like a pressing concern, but it does matter, because the parameters of the population determine its observable characteristics. That in turn will impact our views about green jobs and our interest, or lack thereof, in trying to create them. So let’s look around. The Bureau of Labour Statistics actually has two definitions, one based on output and one based on process. The output criterion includes establishments that actually create products with environmental benefits. At the wastewater facility, for example, all the jobs are green. The process category is broader and will count workers who complete environmentally helpful tasks at establishments that are not necessarily classed as green overall—so, for example, the guy at Dupont who tests the water has a green job. Having two definitions may seem confusing, but it it’s good to acknowledge ambiguity where it is known to exist.
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Other outfits, however, want to pin it down. But their estimates vary widely.

The post concludes as follows:

This points to an interesting conclusion. Environmentalists sometimes exaggerate the size of the green economy. This is, presumably, because it makes the sector seem more important to the economy as a whole. But as we see with the growth in rewnewables, the numbers may be more compelling when you winnow it down to the categories of strength. And for advocates, the broader definitions may actually be counterproductive. People find obvious exaggerations unconvincing, even offensive. It may be unfair to the environmental crowd that they’re being hammered by the spectacular failure of Solyndra. But it was unfair to the taxpayers that politicians were pushing that company so hard. People may have a greater tolerance for uncertainty than politicians think. If politicians want to create “green jobs”—and whether they should try to do so is another question—candour is better than hype. More sustainable that way.