Thu, May 31, 2012 -
The transformation to a greener economy
could generate 15 to 60 million additional
jobs globally over the next two decades
and lift tens of millions of workers out
of poverty, according to a new report led
by the Green Jobs Initiative.
GENEVA, 29 May 2012
- The transformation to a greener economy
could generate 15 to 60 million additional
jobs globally over the next two decades
and lift tens of millions of workers out
of poverty, according to a new report led
by the Green Jobs Initiative.
The study "Working
towards sustainable development: Opportunities
for decent work and social inclusion in
a green economy " says that these gains
will depend on whether the right set of
policies are put in place.
"The current development
model has proven to be inefficient and unsustainable,
not only for the environment, but for economies
and societies as well", said ILO Director-General
Juan Somavia. "We urgently need to
move to a sustainable development path with
a coherent set of policies with people and
the planet at the centre".
"The forthcoming
"Rio+20" United Nations conference
will be a crucial moment to make sure decent
work and social inclusion are integral parts
of any future development strategy",
he added.
Achim Steiner, Executive
Director of the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP), said: "This report comes on
the eve of World Environment Day on 5 June
under the theme Green Economy: Does it Include
You?".
"The findings underline
that it can include millions more people
in terms of overcoming poverty and delivering
improved livelihoods for this and future
generations. It is a positive message of
opportunity in a troubled world of challenges
that we are relaying to capital cities across
the globe as leaders prepare and plan for
the Rio+20 Summit," he added.
The report - published
almost four years after the first study
by the Green Jobs Initiative - looks at
the impact that the greening of the economy
can have on employment, incomes and sustainable
development in general.
At least half of the
global workforce - the equivalent of 1.5
billion people - will be affected by the
transition to a greener economy. While changes
will be felt throughout the economy, eight
key sectors are expected to play a central
role and be mostly affected: agriculture,
forestry, fishing, energy, resource-intensive
manufacturing, recycling, building and transport.
Tens of millions of
jobs have already been created by this transformation.
For example the renewable energy sector
now employs close to 5 million workers,
more than doubling the number of jobs from
2006-2010. Energy efficiency is another
important source of green jobs, particularly
in the construction industry, the sector
hardest hit by the economic crisis.
In the United States,
three million people are employed in environmental
goods and services. In Spain, there are
now more than half a-million jobs in this
sector.
Net gains in employment
in the order of 0.5 - 2 per cent of total
employment are possible. In emerging economies
and developing countries, the gains are
likely to be higher than in industrialized
countries, because the former can leapfrog
to green technology rather than replace
obsolete resource-intensive infrastructure.
Brazil has already created just under three
million jobs, accounting for some 7 per
cent of all formal employment.
No gains without the
right policies
These good results have
one thing in common: the recognition that
environmental and socio-economic challenges
need to be addressed in a comprehensive
and complementary manner.
First, this means promoting
and implementing sustainable production
processes at the level of the business itself,
especially among small-and-medium-sized
enterprises in the key sectors mentioned
above.
Second, an extension
of social protection, income support and
skills training measures is key to ensuring
that workers are in a position to take advantage
of these new opportunities.
Third, international
labour standards and workers' rights can
provide a legal and institutional framework,
as well as practical guidance, for work
in a greener and sustainable economy, especially
when it comes to job quality and occupational
safety and health.
Finally, effective social
dialogue involving employers and trade unions
is central to the governance of sustainable
development.
"Environmental
sustainability is not a job killer, as it
is sometimes claimed. On the contrary, if
properly managed, it can lead to more and
better jobs, poverty reduction and social
inclusion", said the ILO head.
Other key findings of
the report:
In the EU alone, 14.6
million direct and indirect jobs exist in
the protection of biodiversity and rehabilitation
of natural resources and forests.
The targeted international
investments of US$ 30 billion/year into
reduced deforestation and degradation of
forests could sustain up to 8 million additional
full-time workers in developing countries.
Experiences from Colombia,
Brazil and other countries show that the
formalization and organisation of some 15-20
million informal waste pickers could have
significant economic, social and environmental
benefits.
The building renovation
programme for energy efficiency in Germany
is an example of the possible win-win-win
outcomes: it has mobilized ? 100 billion
in investments; it is reducing energy bills,
avoiding emissions and creating around 300,000
direct jobs per year.
Overuse of natural resources
has already caused large losses, including
over a million jobs for forest workers,
mainly in Asia, because of unsustainable
forest management practices.
The fisheries sector
is likely to face a major, albeit temporary
transition challenge for workers due to
overfishing. Temporary reductions of catch
may be needed in many fisheries to allow
declining stocks to recover. Of particular
concern is that 95 per cent of the 45 million
workers employed in fishing are often poor
artisanal coastal fishermen in developing
countries.
In much of Asia, Africa,
Latin America and parts of Europe, the proportion
of expenditure on energy by poor households
is three times - and can be as much as 20
times - that of richer households.
The National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act in India and the social housing
and 'green grants' programmes in Brazil
are good examples of social protection policies
that contribute to sustainable development.
Women could be among
the main beneficiaries of a greener, more
socially inclusive economy, with better
access to opportunities to jobs, for example
in renewable energy, higher incomes, in
particular in agriculture, formalization
of employment, notably among the 15-20 million
recycling workers and many burdens reduced
among other from access to clean energy,
enhanced food security, energy and water
efficient social housing.
A mere 8-12 per cent
of the workforce in industrialized countries,
for example, is employed in the 10-15 industries
generating 70-80 per cent of CO2 emissions.
Only a fraction of these is likely to lose
their jobs if policies are adopted to green
existing enterprises and to promote employment.
The Green Jobs Initiative
is a partnership between the United Nations
Environment Programme(UNEP), the International
Labour Organization (ILO), the International
Organization of Employers (IOE) and the
International Trade Union Congress (ITUC).The
Initiative was launched in order to promote
opportunity, equity and just transitions,
to mobilize governments, employers and workers
to engage in dialogue on coherent policies
and effective programs leading to a green
economy with green jobs and decent work
for all.
+ More
Eastern Europe and Central
Asia aim for cleaner and productive future
25 May 2012, Moscow,
the Russian Federation - On the final run
up before world leaders gather in Brazil
for the "Rio + 20" U.N. Conference
on Sustainable Development, Moscow takes
leadership and fosters discussions on sustainable
development in the region of Eastern Europe
and Central Asia.
Today, the Civic Chamber
of the Russian Federation and United Nations
agencies hosted the first international
Civic Forum for Sustainable Development.
The forum gathered more than 100 experts
and development champions, representatives
of civil organizations, business and government
structures from seven countries to discuss
how to meet the needs of the current generation
without depleting natural resources for
future generations.
"Sustainable development
will require a partnership among many actors
to take it forward - governments, the private
sector and civil society and across borders.
The colleagues and experts gathered here
are committed to taking this agenda forward
together. Russia today is among the countries
for which the sustainable development agenda
proves to be the most challenging goal."
says Vladimir Zakharov, Director of the
Institute for Sustainable Development and
organizer of the event, presenting the report
"Towards a Green Economy in Russia".
At the Civic Forum,
two reports on sustainable development were
presented to the Russian speaking world.
Joint UN report "From Transition to
Transformation: Sustainable and Inclusive
Development in Europe and Central Asia"
analyses the region including former Soviet
republics and calls for a transformation
to integrated policy making, where social
equity, economic growth and environmental
protection are approached together. Experts
urge the region to remove fossil fuel subsidies,
invest in 'green' jobs, and establish social
protection floors to ensure a sustainable
future.
While the pan-European
countries have seen a rapid economic growth
in the last decades, social inequalities
have persisted. Almost 30% of the people
living in the region are considered poor
or vulnerable, and this is expected to increase
by about 5 million people for every 1% decline
in GDP. Child poverty is higher than poverty
among adults in almost all countries in
Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Many countries
are running on a "biocapacity deficit",
meaning they use more resources than they
have in their territories.
From Transition to Transformation
builds on available analysis to give countries
a blueprint of sustainable development models,
with practical implications and case studies
from throughout the pan-European region.
The report finds that sustainable development
can increase competiveness, on the one hand,
while lowering the incidence of cardiovascular
and respiratory disease on the other. Russia,
for example, could double its GDP by 2030
while keeping its GHG emissions close to
11000 levels. A sustainable transformation
would also improve health - One fifth of
the disease burden across Europe could be
prevented by reducing air, water and chemical
pollution.
The UNEP report "Green
Economy" compiled in collaboration
with economists and experts worldwide, demonstrates
that the greening of economies is not a
drag on growth but rather a new engine of
growth; that it is a net generator of decent
jobs, and that it is also a vital strategy
for the elimination of persistent poverty.
The report's key conclusion - investing
two per cent of global GDP across ten key
sectors can kick-start a transition towards
a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.
These two per cent, currently amounting
to an average of US$ 1.3 trillion a year
would grow the global economy at around
the same rate if not higher than those forecasted,
under current economic models.
The Moscow Civic forum
is a contribution of governments, experts,
researchers and development practitioners
ahead of the 'Rio+20' U.N. Conference on
Sustainable Development June 20-22 in Brazil
where more than 110 heads of state, along
with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors,
UN officials, CEOs, and civil society leaders
will come together to discuss and shape
new policies and measures to promote prosperity,
reduce poverty and advance social equity
and environmental protection.
