Asia-Pacific Green Jobs Community Update - Issue 7

This is an update of community related activities for the first two quarters of 2012. It includes information of Green Jobs projects and programmes as well as upcoming events.

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Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmapfor Asia and the Pacific

The Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific explores the opportunities that a low carbon green growth path offers to the region. It articulates five tracks on which to drive the economic system change necessary to pursue low carbon green growth as a new economic development path. In particular, the “visible structure” of the economy, comprising such physical infrastructure as transport, buildings and energy systems, together with the “invisible structure”, which encompasses market prices, governance, regulations and lifestyles, have to be re-oriented towards resource efficiency.

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Sustainability Study: Interactive Exploration

The third annual 2011 Sustainability & Innovation Global Executive Study, conducted by MIT Sloan Management Review in partnership with The Boston Consulting Group, garnered more than 4,000 responses from executives and managers of all industries and regions. Analysis of 2,874 respondents from commercial enterprises reveals that a substantial portion of companies are now seeing the need for sustainable business practices — and are deriving financial benefits from these activities. This interactive tool allows the user to access interactive charts and explore the major trends in sustainability commitment and profitability. You can also download the raw data as comma-separated values (CSV) to view in Microsoft Excel and other applications.

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Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development

To get to sustainable development, we need well-designed, inclusive green growth policies that can improve social welfare for all, promote careful stewardship of natural resources, and respect the delicate balance of the planet. In the 2012 report Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development, World Bank economists set out an economic argument and framework for countries to begin greening their growth.

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Warming experiments underpredict plant phenological responses to climate change

The results of a recent study comparing experimental and observational data of the effects of global warming on plant flowering and leafing shows that experiments have underestimated the impact of warming. This information could help inform climate adaptation measures in the agricultural sector.

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A global synthesis reveals biodiversity loss as a major driver of ecosystem change

A meta-analytic synthesis of studies of the effect of species loss indicate that the negative effects of such loss on the environment are of similar magnitude to other global environmental stressors such as climate warming and acidification. Effects include loss of plant production, productivity and decomposition. This research should renew work to create jobs that address species loss and the building of green cooridoors. It is also of interest to economic sectors that rely on the fertility of land.

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Construction Industry Workforce Shortages: Role of Certification, Training and Green Jobs in Filling the Gaps

Key trends that were just emerging before the recession - such as green building, lean construction and greater collaboration - have now strengthened. In response to this industry transformation, two studies were conducted that examine workforce issues: an industry-wide study and a comparison study of architecture students and practitioners working in firms. These studies reveal that near-term shortages of skilled, experienced workers are a serious concern. In particular, the study highlights the growth in green construction and the potential for shortages there.

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Promoting safety and health in a green economy

The report looks at different “green industries” from an OSH perspective, and shows that while green jobs improve the environment, revitalize the economy and create new employment opportunities, they may also present a number of known and unknown risks for workers. The greening of traditional sectors which will continue to provide the bulk of all employment and harbour most occupational safety and health risks can provide a major opportunity to make them safer and healthier, as well as energy efficient and environmentally sustainable, provided the right measures are taken.

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Access to Low-carbon Technology: is there a role for Social Protection?

Report on the Expert meeting “Social Protection and Low-carbon Technology” convened by MRFCJ at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Pocantico Center, 30 March –1 April 2012

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Zooming in on the safety and health dimension of greening the economy

The 2012 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the promotion of occupational safety and health (OSH) in a green economy. The shift to a green economy is perceived as a way to reconcile the world’s economic and social needs with environmental sustainability. However, even if certain jobs are considered to be “green”, the technologies used may protect the environment but not be safe at all. In this interview, Ms Manuela Tomei, Director of the ILO Labour Protection Department (PROTRAV), looks at the less visible dimension of green jobs and the greening of traditional sectors.

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48m green sector jobs could be created in five years

News clipping about a new ITUC report with economic analysis by the Millennium Institute shows how investing 2% of GDP in the green economy in each of the next five years could create up to 48 million new jobs.

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Sustainability: the HOW

This paper describes how to succeed in profitably transforming the sustainability of organisations. Or you could look at this as how to sustainably increase profitability. Included in the document are: A sustainability transformation roadmap describing the building blocks of a successful program of action The three major challenges along the sustainability journey and how to overcome them Guiding principles which provide five simple tenets for success The paper has been written recognising that every organisation is on its own unique journey, but often (from our experience) facing similar hurdles. We therefore hope that it offers something for every reader who is interested in sustainability. Click here to read the paper.

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Towards an 'Energy Plus' Approach for the Poor: A Review of Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Asia and the Pacific

UNDP - January 2012. "Between 2009 and 2011, the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre led a collaborative review of 17 energy access programmes and projects implemented by governments, development agencies and the private sector in Asia-Pacific. The review shows that projects and programmes which combine the delivery of energy services with income-generating measures – for example, business development and information support, access to capital and market linkages – have the greatest potential for poverty reduction and economic and human development. The review hence seeks to pave the way for a transition to this ‘Energy Plus’ approach."

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Green Economy in a Blue World

UNEP - 2012. "Healthy seas and coasts would pay healthy dividends in a green economy, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners that highlights the huge potential for economic growth and poverty eradication from well-managed marine sectors. The report, Green Economy in a Blue World, argues that the ecological health and economic productivity of marine and coastal ecosystems, which are currently in decline around the globe, can be boosted by shifting to a more sustainable economic approach that taps their natural potential – from generating renewable energy and promoting eco-tourism, to sustainable fisheries and transport."

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Green Jobs-AP Community Updates #6

This is the sixth edition of our Green Jobs-AP Community Updates, in this newsletter we highlight resources, news and events in the world of Green Jobs. As a Green Jobs-AP member you are welcome to contribute to the Community Updates, just send us an email at bkk_greenjobs-ap@ilo.org.

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Towards an ILO approach to climate change adaptation

ILO - 2011. This working paper is the joint effort of the Employment Intensive Investment Programme and the Green Jobs Programme. It explores the implications of climate change, its impacts on the world of work and the need for the work of the International Labour Office to adapt to it. It takes stock of the on-going work and identifies the needs for further development.

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Green Jobs technical brief No. 2

This is a short technical brief covering many different aspects of Green Jobs.

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Towards a Greener Economy: The Social Dimensions

ILO - 2011. The European Commission and the International Labour Organization have combined efforts in reaction to the deep crisis that hit the global economy in 2008. The aim of this joint project is to examine policies that will lead not only to a quicker recovery but also to a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and equitable global economy. 'Towards a Greener Economy: The Social Dimensions' aims to promote a clearer understanding of the nature of the green economy and its implications for labour markets, especially the reallocation of jobs from high- to low-polluting sectors.

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2011 Report by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development

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Towards a greener and fairer society

Climate change means that resource scarcity and environmental degradation have become major, and urgent, challenges. In response, the ILO is promoting the concept of green jobs as a driving force towards a greener and fairer development path that can support economic and social development at a sustainable level.

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