Decent work in the green economy – National workshop for Turkey

News | 05 July 2013
Green jobs in Turkey; where do they already exists and how can their creation be promoted? Would a national policy-oriented or a local level practice-driven approach seem preferable and which sectors should be addressed first? 

These and other questions were discussed during Turkey’s first national workshop on green jobs, held from 24 to 26 June in Ankara.

The participants of the workshop represented the Ministry of Development, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Livestock, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, the Ministry of National Education, the Vocational Qualifications Authority, the Turkish Statistical Institute, the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TURK-IS), the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (HAK-IS) and the Turkish Employment Organization (ISKUR).


During the 3 day workshop, participants were introduced to the concept of green and decent jobs and ILO’s green jobs development strategies. This included a focus on green entrepreneurship and green enterprises, skills development, social dialogue and sector strategies. Best practices and common approaches from other countries were presented and the potential impact of green policies on employment creation was analysed and discussed. Study visits to companies based in Ankara metropolitan area provided first insights into existing green practices at enterprise level, in the beverage industry, waste management and energy production sector.

On the third day, the workshop concluded with a discussion about policy options and possible core elements of a green jobs strategy for Turkey. The outcomes of the workshop will be taken up and further developed by the National Task Force on Decent Work in the Green Economy formed under a recently initiated ILO project.


The ILO Project Decent Work in the Green Economy, supported by the Flemish Government and implemented in Turkey, Mexico and China, aims at contributing to the creation of green jobs for women and men as a means to poverty reduction and social inclusion and through the strengthening of national green economy initiatives.

To achieve this overarching goal, it combines research and knowledge sharing activities at international level with training and research initiatives, in support of policy making, at national level.

In Turkey, the project’s immediate objective is to improve the ability of governments and social partners to assess the scope for green jobs and to formulate, monitor and review relevant gender sensitive strategies, policies and programmes.

The workshop was organized by the ILO Office for Turkey in collaboration with the International Training Centre of the ILO and the ILO Green Jobs Programme.