Sustainable development, decent work and green jobs

1. Sustainable development, decent work and green jobs Conclusions of tripartite discussion at International Labour Conference, June, 2013 Lessons for the MENA region Christine Hofmann, ILO Cairo

2. 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

3. Background: Green Jobs and the ILO • Flagship publications: • Green Jobs Report I, 2008 • Workingtowardssustainabledevelopment, 2012 • Skills for green jobs, 2011 • Green Jobs mainstreamedthroughILO’swork: capacity building, assessments, tools, policyadvice, technicalcooperation • General discussion at ILC, 1 yearafter Rio+20 UN Conference on SustainableDevelopment. Outcome: tripartite conclusions • World of Work to formulate guidance for national initiatives www.ilo.org/greenjobs

4. Seizing the opportunities and managing the challenges • 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 ones • Improving the quality of existing jobs • Major opportunity and need for improved working conditions, skills, better OSH, and higher incomes • 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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, notreplaced 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)

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

9. Findings continued • 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 Findings from Egypt cont. Strengthen networks, collaboration and cross-fertilization between actors Start dialogue on needed skills responses today

10. Policy coherence for green jobs in France Study by Boston Consulting Group (2009): green growth in France could secure 600 000 jobs by 2020 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.

11. ILO Resources Are green jobs decent? Think pieces Research: e.g. Green building sector in South Africa, Global impact of e-waste, Skill needs in green building and renewable energy Assessment 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

12. Thank you for your attention The reports are available at: http://www.ilo.org/skills and http://www.ilo.org/cairo