On the occasion of the Special Session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GCSS.X/GMEF), the Major Groups and Stakeholders Branch is organising a Special event on “Green Jobs: Towards Sustainable Work in a Low-Carbon World” to be held on Friday 22 February 2008 from 13.30 to 14.30 at the Van Dongen Room, Grimaldi Forum.

The Special event will be moderated by Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, and will feature the following guest speakers:

• Mrs. Mabudafhasi Rejoice Thizwilondi, Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of South Africa; Co-chair, Network of Women Ministers for the Environment
• Daniel M. Kammen, Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Energy, University of California, Berkeley (USA)
• Dr. Peter Poschen, Senior Advisor Sustainable Development and Climate Change, International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Lucien Royer, Occupational Health Safety Environment and Sustainable Development Director, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
• Björn Stigson, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
• Tanti R. Tulsi, Chief Execuitve Officer (CEO), Suzlon Energy Ltd (tbc)
• Network of Women Ministers – tbc

Please click here to view speakers’ profiles

Key issues

Priority responses to climate change are focused on three areas: climate impacts, mitigation, and adaptation. There is a wide range of research, policy analysis, multilateral negotiations and public debates on these issues by governments, international organizations, business, financial institutions, trade unions and NGOs. Until now the focus has been on the impressive COSTS of action---or inaction! There has been very limited analysis and discussion, however, on the opportunities represented by the generation of new and decent employment (Green Jobs) through innovative targeting and use of the expected massive investments required to meet adaptation and mitigation measures.

Already it is clear that a significant quantity of “green jobs” have been created in sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency in buildings and vehicles and sustainable transportation systems. A draft report commissioned by UNEP, ILO and ITUC on Green Jobs: Towards Sustainable Work in a Low-Carbon World, estimates that “in 2006 there were over 2,250,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector alone. To place this “rough” figure into perspective, the total employment of the oil and gas and oil refining sector in 1999 was just over 2 million workers, the formal Mining sector was approximately 11 million workers, and air transport accounts for approximately 4 million workers.”

Please click here to view the full report

Panel discussion

The side event will be divided into two parts. The preliminary findings of the Green Jobs Report will be presented by the Executive Director of UNEP, followed by a discussion on the global perspectives and needed policies as highlighted in the Green Jobs Report in terms of:

1. the potential employment consequences –positive and negative- of environmental policies;
2. the need to identify and facilitate the development of the new skills and capacities necessary to meet effectively and efficiently the human resource challenges of climate change in developed countries and rapidly emerging developing countries;
3. how and where the necessary investments, particularly on climate change mitigation and adaptation, might be mobilized;
4. the need to warrant special analysis and efforts to facilitate a “smooth” and fair transition for those workers, companies (especially SMEs) and communities who may lose their jobs, livelihood or traditional economic/market base in response to climate change measures and the shift to a new low-carbon society.

Additional resources

• Report of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory - Putting Renewables to Work:How Many Jobs Can theClean Energy Industry Generate?
• United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works  Testimony for the September 25, 2007 Hearing on:  Green Jobs Created by Global Warming Initiatives 
• Decent work for sustainable development –  The challenge of climate change

For more information visit the Green Jobs Initiative web page