Green Jobs have become an emblem of a more sustainable economy and society that preserves the environment for present and future generations and is more equitable and inclusive of all people and all countries.

Green jobs are decent jobs which help protect the environment, ensure a shift to a low carbon development and adapt to the effects of climate change. This includes jobs that reduce the environmental impact of enterprises and economic sectors, ultimately to levels that are sustainable; protect ecosystems and biodiversity or combat desertification; reduce the use of energy, raw materials, and natural resources, including water, through high-efficiency strategies, techniques and technologies; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.

The concept of Green Jobs is inclusive of the two dimensions of environmental sustainability and decent work. For a job to be considered green, it needs to be decent. Some of the jobs in environment-related industries such as recycling and waste management or biomass energy tend to be precarious, lowly paid or completely informal. If green jobs are to be a bridge to a truly sustainable future, this needs to change. In this respect, Green Jobs effectively link Millennium Development Goal 1 on Poverty Reduction and Millennium Development Goal 7 on Sustainable Development in a mutually supportive manner.

One will find green jobs where there are efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of human activities. green jobs can then be found primarily in such sectors as the renewable energy sector, sustainable construction and energy efficiency in existing buildings, mass transportation, in the steel, aluminium, cement or paper industries, in recycling, refurbishment, remanufacturing or repair activities, organic food production, afforestation and reforestation, sound land-use planning and ecosystem restoration.

The range of profiles of green jobs is as extended as it is for other jobs: it stretches from highly skilled research and development or management functions through technical and skilled worker levels to relatively low skilled work which is most needed by youth, women, farmers, and rural populations in developing countries.

The Green Jobs Initiative in Asia

The Green Jobs Initiative is a global partnership established in 2007 between the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). The International Organization of Employers (IOE) joined in 2008.

The initiative was launched to promote opportunity, equity, and a just transition process and to encourage governments, employers, and workers to collaborate on coherent policies and effective programmes that will support a green economy, with green jobs and decent work for all.

The Green Jobs Initiative assists in developing job-centered environmentally sustainable policies that contribute to the recovery from the global economic and the social crisis. It promotes in a mutually supportive manner decent work and the environmental performance of enterprises and economic sectors. It also promotes the expansion of an employment-rich green economy.

Activities of the Green Jobs Initiative in Asia and the Pacific include:

• Deepening research in low-income and medium-income countries in the region, in particular assessing the labor market impact of climate change and environment driven policies and identify green-jobs related skills requirements;
• Facilitating the development of employment-centered environmentally sustainable policies in the context of the recovery from the economic and social crisis through a national consultative process that involves fully the labor authorities and the social partners;
• Developing a body of knowledge and information on good practices in all sectors of the economy for the purpose of raising awareness to a large audience;
• Green Jobs creation through field demonstration activities in particular for women that contribute to a low-carbon development and a more climate resilient economy; and
  
• Enhancing the capacity of the social partners, promoting a ONE UN approach and innovative partnerships

Some Green Jobs related activities in Asia

Research Conference: Green Jobs for Asia and the Pacific, Niigata, Japan, 21-23 April 2008

The Conference aimed at exploring new concepts and approaches, at extracting lessons for policies and programmes, at identifying priorities for action and at building partnerships for future work. It achieved the following results:

• Raise awareness for the critical role of green jobs in the transformation of Asian economies and for their potential contribution to sustainable development. The Conference helped to clarify the notion of green jobs as it applies to the region, the relationship between concepts of green jobs and decent work, the potential for the creation of new jobs, the role of new and redefined jobs in bringing about the transformation of economies and in improving welfare and reducing poverty.
• Draw lessons for use in policy and operational programmes. The Conference shared research results from the region and exchange experience from i) government policy reforms, including in the area of tax policy, financial support and market-based instruments; and ii) case studies, field projects and programmes in a range of countries, sectors and enterprises.
  
• Identify the potential for the ILO to add value to and be a partner in the efforts to promote green growth in the region. The conference helped identify future opportunities for policy advice and operational work as part of the ILO Decent Work Country Programmes. This includes possible partnerships under the UN ‘delivering as one’ as well as other national and development partners.
• Draw up an agenda for future research and explore potential for a research network. In addition to mapping the main issues and priorities for research, the Conference provided on suitable research methods and considered possible arrangements for building a research and knowledge sharing network on Green Jobs in the region.
• Provided input to the ILO contribution to the G8 Meeting. The conclusions of the Research Conference provided input to the ILO contribution to the G8 Labour Ministers Meeting, that took place from 10-13 May 2008.
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Country project in China (2008-2009)

A three-pronged approach to green jobs is taking place in China with the objectives of:

1. Building a knowledgebase on green jobs and sharing experiences to inform policy making
2. Promoting green business start-up
3. Supporting enterprises in transition

Working with the MOHRSS research has been conducted on the quantifying the current and projected employment impacts of a transition to a low carbon economy in the energy sector, forestry sector and basic industries.  Research is also being carried on fair transition challenges, conditions of employment, employee profiles and skills gaps in energy sector companies in Inner Mongolia and Tianjin. A value chain analysis of the solar water heater clusters in Dezhou, Shandong has been conducted to help identify good practices, job creation potential and areas where additional support is needed.

Building off the ILO’s successful Start and Improve Your own Business (SIYB) training course, a Green Business Options (GBO) training module has been developed to provide support to entrepreneurs in formulating a green business plan, assessing its feasibility and putting it into practice.  The GBO training have been piloted in the Sichuan earthquake area to help local entrepreneurs rebuild their businesses better and greener and in 20 universities and training institutions throughout China targeting young graduates interested in business start-up.

With a view to supporting enterprises in transition, there has been continued cooperation between the ILO and UNIDO to support enterprises in upgrading their human resources management and environmental management systems, and to train workers and managers on workplace cooperation, energy saving and environmentally sound work practices as part of the “Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) project.

Country project in Bangladesh (2008-2009)

The primary objective of the green jobs pilot programme in Bangladesh is to help introduce and raise awareness of the concept of Green Jobs.  This has been done through a series of activities including conducting research and holding national workshops and training seminars.  A Task Force chaired by the Secretary of Ministry of Labour and Employment was formulated to develop an action plan on green jobs and help steer the trajectory of work on this topic.  Given the importance of securing access to energy in Bangladesh, one of the initial recommendations of the task force was for the introduction of special pilot training programme on solar energy.

The ILO has partnered with the Bureau for Manpower, Education and Training as well as Grameen Shakti, a leading NGO in Bangladesh, to develop and implement a training programme on providing technical support to users of solar home energy systems.  This programme has specifically targeted young, female, women from rural communities that are based near the training centres.

Leveraging off the work done by Grameen Shakti to promote access to renewable energy in rural communities, as part of the pilot programme, ILO tools and methodologies will be adapted and an integrated entrepreneurship package consisting of training materials, advice on technology and financing opportunities will be developed with a few to enhancing additional income generating opportunities for communities.  Implementation of the training package is expected to occur in 2010.

Country project in India (2008-2009)

The pilot programme in India is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour and Employment which has established the first multi-stakeholder taskforce on green jobs.  The taskforce, consisting of representatives from various ministries, workers’ and employers’ organisations, civil society, academia and other relevant stakeholders is working to develop a plan of action and identify concrete opportunities to promote green jobs in India.

Estimates show that the Indian labour market requires over 10 million jobs to be created each year in order to lift the unemployed and underemployed above the poverty threshold.  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are and will likely continue to be the largest employment providers in India. In light of this and recognising that MSMEs face serious challenges with regard to the promotion of decent work, the ILO has partnered with Development Alternatives to develop a comprehensive value chain methodology that integrates the three aspects of sustainability and apply it in two clusters MSME clusters.  Selection of clusters was made on the basis of several criteria including employment creation potential, impact on environmental degradation, existence of support providing institutions and access to green technologies, finance and training institutions.  Throughout the course of 2009 and 2010 the ILO will work with DA to develop capacity building resources and demonstrate how the ‘greening’ of jobs can take place in these two clusters.

At the same time, the ILO is also working with the Ministry of Rural Development to identify the opportunities and potential of upgrading the existing green jobs created under the important National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.  This collaboration is aimed at providing further support to national efforts towards promoting sustainable practices and livelihood opportunities in India.

The Manila Declaration on Green Industry in Asia and Framework of Action,. the Green Industry Conference, Manila, 9–11 September 2009

Senior officials from 22 Asian countries adopted unanimously the Manila Declaration on Green Industry in Asia and Framework of Action, which is the outcome document of the International Conference on Green Industry in Asia. While the Manila Declaration and Framework of Action is a non-binding document, it outlines the steps needed to reduce resource intensity and carbon emissions of Asian industries. It refers to the principle of decent work in the context of the development of green industry policies and programs and provides a mechanism to be supported by UNIDO, UNEP, UNESCAP and the ILO to periodically review and assess progress in implementing the framework of action towards a low-carbon future. The Manila Declaration encourages Asian countries to set the appropriate institutional and policy framework towards a transition to resource-efficient and low-carbon industries. It calls for measures such as the incorporation of cleaner production policies in national development plans, and the fostering of a viable business environment conducive to investments in green industries.

Pilot Project in The Philippines and Thailand (2010-2012): Supporting Decent Work and Green Jobs through Social Dialogue at the Enterprise Level

Transition to low carbon economies through cutting emissions and introducing cleaner production and consumption patterns require shifts in mindsets, workplace practices and skills development training. At the same time, enterprises are facing a multitude of pressures in order to remain competitive and sustainable, including the need to respond to the impacts of climate change, adaptation and mitigation. Strategies are needed to help workers and employers respond to these new demands as well as to assist policy makers and others in understanding the ramifications of climate change at the enterprise level. The project’s multiple objectives of building knowledge, developing ILO and stakeholder capacity and developing tools of good practices and materials will be achieved through a phased and linked approach, starting with research to determine the current state of knowledge and culminating in a forum in Japan to highlight good practices and lessons learned.

Pilot Project in The Philippines (2009-2011): ‘Strengthening the Philippines’ Institutional Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change’

The project aims to showcase a more integrated and comprehensive approach to ensure long-term preparedness for climate change, especially for the poor who are more vulnerable to projected impacts and less equipped to deal with the costs of adaptation. It identifies strategies for targeted vulnerable populations and provide access to financial and productive resources for the purpose of not only of helping them cope in the event of climate change, but also of improving their socio-economic lot, especially through diversified livelihoods schemes. Risk transfer mechanisms like revolving funds and innovative insurance schemes are expected to help develop resiliency through opportunities for farmers to diversify their livelihood base and reduce risk exposure through flexible financial mechanisms. Providing the enabling conditions for livelihood diversification is critical, as new types of livelihoods are often required to effectively adapt to disasters and climate change vulnerabilities. The project aims to achieve at least two objectives:

• To develop and test financial safety nets for vulnerable populations, especially women; and
• To develop the capacities of vulnerable populations to participate and avail of the benefits under economic diversification and a democratized governance system.