The promotion of Green Jobs is central in the transition towards a greener economy. Climate change and the excessive use of scarce resources are calling for proactive policies to respond timely and avert the worse and create pathways to sustainable development - with decent work for all. But the much needed innovative strategies can only succeed with the full engagement of enterprises and workers.
If the adverse effects of climate change on the natural environment, infrastructure and livelihood in Pacific Island countries are well known and documented, uncertainty still remains on the social and employment dimensions of climate change and its resulting policies and measures such as climate mitigation and adaptation. Furthermore, greater consciousness around the vulnerability of life support systems, the need to reduce the impacts on nature of human activities and adapt to the adverse effects of environmental and climate change in particular has brought out the importance of studying further the linkages between the environment, socio-economic development and employment in the Pacific.
The research report ‘Green Jobs in the Pacific’ is a first attempt to address this information gap and better understand the impacts of environmental changes on the labor market as well as the dynamics of green employment.
This report has been prepared in the context of the Green Jobs Initiative, an initiative launched in 2007 by the ILO in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE). Through concerted efforts by governments, employers and trade unions, the Green Jobs Initiative aims to promote research and awareness, enhance the capacity of ILO constituents, develop policies and measures to achieve green jobs and green workplaces and facilitate a “just transition” that reflects the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainable development.