Background

Climate change and environmental degradation are among the greatest challenges of our times that reduce productivity, destroy jobs and increase inequality. Effects of climate crisis fall disproportionately and profoundly on the most vulnerable. Transition to environmental sustainability can potentially create millions of jobs but this will require bold action to invest in people’s capabilities to realize their full potential and contribute to the productivity of enterprises. Just transition to environmental sustainability will require reskilling and upskilling of workers to reduce the risk of rising unemployment, poverty and inequality. Equal access to training, raising environmental awareness and climate literacy for current and potential workers will be essential for the implementation of decent work agenda and greener ways of production and service delivery.

At the 2018 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP24), support to a just transition was highlighted as a priority area to support the workforce transitions, and the creation of decent work was declared crucial to effective, inclusive and climate-resilient development. Skills development is a cornerstone of the just transition framework (ILO 2015) “Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all”. The availability of the right skills paves the way to a productive green transformation and decent job creation.

The new ILO report “Skills for a Greener Future: A global view” (ILO 2019) Skills for a greener future: Key findings analyses how skills development can underpin the green transition with documented good practices in 32 surveyed countries. It is the first global study that discusses the implications of the transition to low-carbon and resource-efficient economies for skills, gender and occupations. It is a ground-breaking piece of qualitative research and modelling, providing new insights into likely occupational skill effects in declining and growing industries by 2030 based on two global scenarios (energy sustainability and circular economy).

Objective of panel discussion

The event will launch the new ILO report “Skills for a Greener Future: A global view ” and will discuss which skills and occupations will be most in demand, and how education and lifelong learning measures can help to implement countries’ commitments to the Paris Agreement.

Simultaneous interpretation for English and Spanish will be provided.

Partners: Government of Spain, Presidency of Chile, International Labour Organisation (ILO)

Panellists: