The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Sustainable development, decent work and green jobs

Conclusions of tripartite discussion at International Labour Conference, June, 2013Lessons for the MENA region

Christine Hofmann, ILO Cairo

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Introduction

Two defining challenges of the 21st century:

Achieving environmental sustainability:Overuse natural resource, pollution, water scarcity, land degradation, biodiversity, climate change Decent work for all:Unemployment, working poverty, lack of social protection

Both are intimately linked

Transitions to greener jobs need to be just and managed well

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO3

Background: Green Jobs and the ILO

• Green Jobs mainstreamed through ILO’s work: capacity building, assessments, tools, policy advice, technical cooperation

• General discussion at ILC, 1 year after Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Outcome: tripartite conclusions

• World of Work to formulate guidance for national initiatives

Flagship publications:• Green Jobs Report I, 2008• Working towards sustainable

development, 2012• Skills for green jobs, 2011

www.ilo.org/greenjobs

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Seizing the opportunities and managing the challenges

1.Job creation An environmentally sustainable economy could lead to +0.5-2 %

more employment i.e. 15- 60 million additional jobs More with higher investment Gains may be higher in emerging economies and developing

countries than in industrialized ones2. Improving the quality of existing jobs

Major opportunity and need for improved working conditions, skills, better OSH, and higher incomes

3. Economic restructuring– Protection of existing jobs through greening of enterprises

• Improving the productivity of energy and materials is an important means

• Particular attention required to SMEs

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

ILC Conclusions

• Strong social consensus on goals and pathways to sustainability is fundamental: Governments, employers and workers are active agents of change through social dialogue at all levels

• Promote fundamental principles and rights and work, including gender dimensions

• Anticipate impacts on employment • Invest in natural resource management and env.

sustainable production and consumption• Design coherent policies to provide enabling

environment for enterprises, workers, investors and consumers to drive transitions

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Recommended key policy areas to promote green jobs and manage transition

• Macroeconomic and growth policies• Industrial and sectoral policies• Enterprise policies• Skills development• Occupational safety and health• Social protection• Active labour market policies• Social dialogue and tripartism

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Energy sector: Working towards sustainable development (ILO, 2012)

• Shift to low-carbon energy supply will have important net positive effects on employment and help address energy poverty in rural communities

• Growth of the renewable energy industry has supplemented jobs in the fossil fuel sector, not replaced them

• Job losses in the fossil fuel industry mainly due to rising mechanization and labour productivity

• Renewable energy jobs are of better quality than in fossil fuel industry (if deployment is gradual)

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Findings from Egypt: Skills for green jobs

• Lack of coordination: No institutional mechanism to link skills and environmental policies

• No systematic data collection on skills for green jobs• Skills forecasting mechanisms do not systematically

analyse skills for green jobs• Organizations dealing with the environment are well

aware of skills requirements• Formal education and training system has not

mainstreamed environmental concerns and related skillsSlide 8 of 19

ILO/GIZ Conference: Skills for green jobs. The case of composting and renewable energy 19 November 2012

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

• Skills response scattered and mainly by enterprises on-the-job or variety of specialized providers and centres of excellence

• Missing incentives: Energy subsidies (e.g. for green building)

• Some skill and occupational requirements: – Environmental auditor, – energy and clean production advisors, – bio-fuels operator

Slide 9 of 19

Strengthen networks, collaboration and cross-fertilization between actors

Findings continued

Start dialogue on needed skills responses today

Findings from Egypt cont.

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Policy coherence for green jobs in France

Grenelle de l’Environnement 5 parties: government, unions, employers, NGOs and local authorities.

Social dialogue!!

National Strategy for Sustainable Development 2009-2012 Training is included!!

Mobilization Plan for Green Jobs • Mobilization of the State• Mobilization of industries• Mobilization of territories• 11 Sectoral Committees: analysis on

skills needs in the green economy .

Study by Boston Consulting Group (2009): green growth in France could secure 600 000 jobs by 2020

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Are green jobs decent?

ILO ResourcesThink piecesResearch: e.g. Green building sector in South Africa, Global impact of e-waste, Skill needs in green building and renewable energyAssessment tools for green jobs potential, sector assessments,Training manuals for workers

Forthcoming:- A step-by-step guide on identifying skill needs for green jobs- International Conference for Labour Statisticians to discuss Green Jobs Definition

The Green Jobs Programme of the ILO

Thank you for your attention

The reports are available at: http://www.ilo.org/skills andhttp://www.ilo.org/cairo