The Green Jobs Initiative is a joint initiative by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which has been launched to assess, analyze and promote the creation of decent jobs as a consequence of the needed environmental policies. It supports a concerted effort by governments, employers and trade unions to promote environmentally sustainable jobs and development in a climate-challenged world.

Its objectives are:

• to promote awareness and dialogue;
• to identify and respond to knowledge gaps;
• to facilitate a “just transition” that reflects the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainable development;
• to promote policies and measures to achieve green jobs and green workplaces;
• to catalyze employment and poverty alleviation within climate mitigation and adaptation programmes; and
• to strengthen collaboration between UNEP/ILO/ITUC, within the UN system and with the international business community.

Background Paper on Green Jobs

Preliminary report on “Green Jobs: Towards Sustainable Work in a Low-Carbon World”

The multitude of different policy initiatives and responses to environmental threats (particularly climate change) currently being implemented, negotiated and studied at all levels of government and society will each have employment consequences and the pace of green job creation is likely to accelerate in the years ahead. A global transition to a low-carbon and sustainable economy will create large numbers of green jobs across many sectors of the economy and indeed can become an engine of sustainable development.

In order to address these issues in a more coordinated and coherent manner, UNEP has collaborated with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in the design and implementation of a major research on Green Jobs. To this effect, UNEP commissioned and funded a report produced by the Worldwatch Institute with the technical assistance by the Cornell University Global Labor Institute in December 2007, entitled Green Jobs: Towards Sustainable Work in a Low-Carbon World.

The first findings of the Green Jobs Report will be presented by the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008 (from23 to 27 January, Davos, Switzerland) and to the 10th Special Session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum of UNEP (from 20 to 22 February 2008 in the Principality of Monaco) in order to bring the world’s attention on how crucial is the need to balance environmental and social concerns in addressing the global environmental challenges of our times.

The Green Jobs Report will place its main thrust into demonstrating that addressing environmental challenges presents opportunities for labour and business which can ultimately result in economic growth. The Report will seek to be complementary to the extensive work done in the European Union on mitigating climate change effects and on the energy sector.

A fundamental dimension of the report will be the necessary just transition. Examples of program of priority support measures to facilitate a fair transition for workers (and communities) affected negatively by “green” policy initiatives including climate change, and production and consumption patterns - but also as a result of other technological changes, relevant trade policies and poverty alleviation initiatives will be outlined.

For more information contact us at civil.society@unep.org