Slideshow
Green jobs and skills
Moving to a green economy is crucial for combating climate change and environmental degradation. But a successful transition will require extensive reskilling and upskilling to prepare workers for their new roles.
Nature and work are intrinsically connected. Our lives and jobs depend on the natural environment, and our future depends on a just transition to a resource and carbon-efficient economy. Developing countries and vulnerable populations are most vulnerable to the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
© M. Crozet / ILO, 2017. Water collection in the dried out Fiherenana River, Madagascar.
In the run-up to the ILO’s Centenary, in 2019, the ILO Director-General launched the Green Initiative. The initiative puts into practice the decent work dimension of transitioning to a low-carbon and resource-efficient economic model.
© Ben Lau.
The Green Jobs mural: By Victor Ash, renowned for his astronaut murals, was inaugurated on 9 April 2019 during the launch of the #ILO100Murals Artwalk in New York to mark the ILO Centenary. The mural was curated and produced by Street Art for Mankind, and hosted by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York.
The Green Jobs mural: By Victor Ash, renowned for his astronaut murals, was inaugurated on 9 April 2019 during the launch of the #ILO100Murals Artwalk in New York to mark the ILO Centenary. The mural was curated and produced by Street Art for Mankind, and hosted by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York.
Green jobs are decent jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment, both in traditional sectors, such as manufacturing and construction, or emerging ones such as renewable energy. The ILO’s Green Jobs programme promotes decent jobs that support the transition to sustainable development.
© Alan Dow / ILO / BMET. Project participant, 2012.
The transition to sustainable development will see millions of jobs disappear, but a just transition can also create millions of new jobs, with policies that support training and re-skilling, enterprise development and greenhouse gas emission reduction.
© ILO. Energy-saving measures adopted in a participating hotel in Thailand.
Rapid technological development and a rising demand for electronics has been accompanied by a flood of toxic e-waste that poses a threat to health and the environment. But recycling e-waste can also be a source of jobs and reduce the use of extra resources.
© Daniele Epifanio. E-waste recycling station in Argentina. The ILO has been conducting research on employment and decent jobs in the Argentinian e-waste value chain.
“The action needed to mitigate climate change will necessarily have a transformative impact on the world of work. We do not underestimate the scale of disruption to businesses and workers that this transformation will cause. But carefully designed adaptation strategies hold the potential for a net positive employment impact through a just transition.” (Global Commission on the Future of Work, 2019)
© Marcel Crozet / ILO, 2014. Project participants.
A green economy also contributes to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by advancing climate action, protecting life on land and in water, providing clean and affordable energy, and promoting decent work and economic growth.
© Marcel Crozet / ILO, 2014