EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON EMPLOYMENT

1. EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON EMPLOYMENT By Rebecca Okello Abongo Central Organisation of Trade Unions-Kenya

2. INTRODUCTION. • Climate change is having significant impact on Africa, and its effects are set to get worse. • Africa’s contribution to the GHGs is negligible, but it is facing – and will increasingly face - severe effects from climate change and its impacts as a result of its low adaptation capacity. • According to IPCC the continent is to suffer, with a high degree of certainty, from climate change induced food insecurity, water stress, ecosystem service disruptions, coastal inundation and a spread of disease vectors. Designed By Talenga Moses (COTU-K)

3. What is climate change? • Climate Change = Any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature or precipitation) lasting for an extended period of time (typically more than 10 years) • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines Climate Change as ‘a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere’ Designed By Talenga Moses (COTU-K)

4. Effects of climate change • Climate change is brought about by two major sources • Natural causes The earths climate varies naturally as a result of the intention between oceans and the atmosphere, change on the earths orbit, fluctuations in energy received from the sun and volcanic eruptions. • Human causes The main human influence on global climate thus deforestation, burning of fossil fuel, urbanisation, Designed By Talenga Moses (COTU-K)

5. GHGs GHGs GHG GHG GHG Less infrared radiation (heat) escapes to space Higher levels of GHGs trap more heat in atmosphere, leading to temperature increases

6. What human activity generate greenhouse gases

7. Start Industrial era How rapidly are green house gases concentration rising CO2 levels are the highest in last 650,000 years In the last 50 yrs., CO2 levels have grown more rapidly than ever before CO2 levels are increasing 1.5- 2 ppm/yr Central organisation of trade union

8. Effects of Climate Change Central organisation of trade union

9. Severe droughts and heat waves Stronger storms Heavy rains

10. Decreasing snow cover and melting glaciers Kilimanjaro 1993 Decreasing snow cover Kilimanjaro 2000 Designed By Talenga Moses (COTU-K)

11. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/trends-in-sea-level-1870-2006http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/trends-in-sea-level-1870-2006 Rising sea level Sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion and melting glaciers and ice caps Average global sea levels have risen 17 cm during 20th century and may rise 28-58 cm by 2100 Designed By Talenga Moses (COTU-K)

12. How are climate change impacts distributed across countries, regions and sectors? • The impacts of climate change are unevenly distributed across regions, economic sectors and society. The highest impacts will be felt by: • The working poor, those working in the informal economy, seasonal and casual workers, the self-employed, micro and small sized enterprises; • The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) due to high vulnerability and low adaptive capacity; • Sectors most dependent on natural resources and climate such as energy, water, agriculture and food production, tourism, transport, public services and industries.

13. Effects of climate change on employment • The negative impacts on employment will be the result of extreme weather events such as droughts, cyclones and/or floods, thus • Job losses • In urban labour markets due to greater incidence of extreme weather events and resulting worker displacement and damage to business assets, transport and industrial infrastructure, and settlements; • In rural labour markets due to a greater incidence of heavy precipitation and/or extreme heat and resulting damage to agricultural crops. • Impacts on business assets and business interruptions due to weather damage or disruption of private and public infrastructure, such as buildings, machinery, production sites, raw materials and supply chains. • Impacts on working conditions and occupational safety and health affecting labour productivity. • For instance, heat stress in workers due to rising temperatures results in loss of working hours and days. • Forced short-term and long-term migration due to income reduction, job losses and uninhabitable environment as a result of environmental risks and abrupt extreme weather events.

14. Effects of climate change on employment • In Africa, climate change will affect agricultural production through increased water stress, reduced farming areas and decreased yield potential. • Jobs in the rural areas will be affected, not only through the direct reduction in agricultural production but also through indirect effects in rural economies such as the knock-on effect on the processing sector and non-agriculture-related commerce which depends on the revenues of agriculture (i.e. small shops in rural communities).

15. What are the employment effects of transitioning to a low-carbon economy? • Climate action and the transition to low-carbon economies will affect employment in several ways: • Jobs will be created in new emerging green sectors, such as renewable energies where the demand for goods and services is expanding; • Certain jobs will be eliminated without direct replacement, for example, through banning or discouraging the use of a particular processing methods or resources especially in energy-intensive and polluting industries; • Certain jobs will be substituted as a consequence of industrial transformation. For example, jobs in waste incineration plants will be substituted with jobs in recycling facilities; • The majority of existing jobs will be transformed and redefined in terms of their profile requirements and working methods i.e. plumbers and architects in the adoption of more environmentally friendly practices such as efficiency improvements.

16. What can we do? Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Central Organisation of Trade Unions-Kenya

17. What is mitigation and adaptation • Along with adaptation, mitigation is one of the two central approaches in the international climate change process. Mitigation involves human interventions to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases by sources or enhance their removal from the atmosphere by “sinks”. A “sink” refers to forests, vegetation or soils that can reabsorb CO2. • Adaptation (coping with climate change) is the adjustment of natural or human system in response to actual or expected changes in the climate, with the aim of allowing them to benefit from potential opportunities while minimizing threats. Designed By Talenga Moses (COTU-K)

18. Options for mitigating climate change Increasing carbon sinks Tree Planting -tree survival? Sustainable Agricultural practices Protected forests Avoiding reducing sinks Mitigation Activities Reducing emissions from productive activities Bioenergy and biofuels

19. Climate change adaptation • Drought resistant crops • Soil conservation • Sustainable water management • Preservation and diversification of seeds for crops • Sustainable water harvesting • Food security programs Central organisation of trade union

20. What are the employment opportunities of mitigating climate change? • Mitigation strategies aim to limit or reduce the magnitude of long term climate change, primarily by reducing or preventing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). • Mitigation strategies have significant potential to create new employment by: • Stimulating investment and innovation in new green products and services that are more environmentally friendly and low-carbon. This also enables enterprises to access new markets and offers them a comparative advantage and for new enterprises to emerge.  • Improvements in energy and raw material efficiency at enterprise level. The greening of workplace practices can reduce the amount of resources needed for production; lower the amount of waste generated, and thereby save energy costs.

21. What are the employment opportunities of adapting to climate change? • Adaptation strategies aim to minimize the negative effects of climate change on societies and economies and take advantage of any related opportunities. • Adaptation measures offer opportunities for job creation and climate resilient communities, including through: • Relocation of exposed settlements and industry • Establishment of coastal defences • Reinforcement of buildings and infrastructure; • Construction of new climate resistant infrastructure • Transfer of new climate friendly technology

22. Conclusion • Addressing environmental concerns, including climate change challenges, will involve bringing about a series of transformations in economic and social development policies, and in production and consumption patterns. • A transition towards an environmentally sustainable economy needs to be well managed and contribute to the goals of decent work for all and the eradication of poverty.