ITCILO/ACTRAV Course A Capacity Building for Members of Youth Committees on the Youth Employment Crisis in Africa (26 to 30 August 2013) Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable Low-carbon World

Green Jobs Initiative Green Jobs Initiative, started in 2007, is a joint initiative by: International Labour Organisation (ILO) United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) International Employers’ Organisation (IOE) – came on-board in 2008 Objective: Help countries in realising the potential for Green Jobs and positive labour market transition in the face of climate change. Respond to the dual challenge of climate change and decent work deficits.

What does the Green Jobs Initiative bring into the Environmental Debate?  The Green Jobs Initiative: Brings employment, labour market and social justice perspectives into the environmental and climate change discussion. Promotes better balance between the three pillars of sustainable development, namely: Economic growth Social progress Ecological preservation). Positive step towards a cleaner planet, decent work for all and sustainable development.

LOW CARBON GROWTH RESOURCE EFFICIENCY SOCIAL INCLUSIVITY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ? GREEN ECONOMY Definition of Green Economy

What are Green Jobs?  Green Jobs are jobs that help to: Protect ecosystems, biodiversity and minimize environmental degrading impacts; Reduce energy, material and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; Reduce GHG emissions and de-carbonize the economy; Minimize or altogether avoid the generation of all forms of waste and pollution; Jobs that produce so-called green products  Idea of green jobs is not absolute, there are shades of green  But does it mean green jobs are also decent jobs? – what is the place of safe & decent work for workers – in the concept of green jobs?

Continues… “The mounting cost of energy- intensive production and consumption patterns is widely recognised. It is timely to move towards a high-employment, low carbon economy. Green jobs hold the promise of a triple dividend: sustainable enterprises; poverty reduction; and job-centred economic recovery.” Mr. Juan Somavia, Former Director General of the ILO, March 2009

Green Jobs are not necessarily Decent Jobs  Quality of green jobs? Health hazards of green jobs? - many green jobs in recycling and reuse operations are dirty, dangerous & difficult/demeaning - Ex. the recycling industry (IT, plastics, waste industry, Ship breaking) Picture Source:

New Green BUT same ‘bad old Management’  Many green jobs are done in conditions that will be considered ‘indecent’ – low pay, no social protection, poor health and safety standards, exploitative employment relationships & gross violations of workers’ rights.

Decent & Green Jobs link MDG 1 (poverty reduction) and MDG 7 (protecting the environment) So, how do we promote Green & Decent Jobs in the manufacturing sector? ‘Greening of industry’ comes not just from ‘growing more trees’ or investing in effluent treatment plants or energy efficient production processes (important as these are) BUT we also need to look at how an industry conducts its business. What employment & working conditions need to be promoted for a realisation of green & decent jobs?

Areas of Action for Green & Decent Jobs Need for revisiting ‘flexibility policies’ in the area of production and employment Working conditions (OSH) Terms of employment (wages & contracts of employment) –regularization of employment relations Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining

Production & employment practices of industry incompatible with environment protection Practice of outsourcing & sub-contracting hazardous and polluting work Employment of contract-casual workers, low skilled paid labourers to do hazardous and dirty work Lack of responsibility towards waste disposal (outsourcing to contractors) - pollute agricultural land & ground water Why is hazardous, dirty work (ex. jobs related to industrial sanitation and maintenance, cleaning of furnaces, machinery, etc.) not considered skilled enough, requiring regular workforce and paid accordingly?

Production & employment practices of industry incompatible with environment protection Occupational safety & health and Environment protection are the two sides of the same coin - the right of the people to live in clean environment is accepted much readily but right to work in clean-safe environment is often times not adequately appreciated. Income/wage policies for green economy: poverty wages do not contribute towards sustainable development. Respect for Freedom of Association & Right to Collective bargaining – enabling conditions for sharing in gains from growth, for democratic decision making over workplace changes, for representative and inclusive social dialogue.

‘Not in my backyard’ approach to pollution – unsustainable Closure & shifting of industry is not always a good solution – but this policy has often been implemented by governments when pressurized by NGOs on account of industrial pollution – industries usually shift to rural/backward areas where they continue to pollute. While industry gets incentives & support for relocation, workers are not so lucky - relocation causes job losses and dislocation of workers lives (since workers often cannot not shift to new locations) and these are more often than not, organized workers. Contract-casual workers get no compensation at all.

‘Not in my backyard’ approach to pollution – unsustainable Closure and & relocation policy often only increase the misery of the people which in turn will lead to conditions that are not conducive for environment protection. The need is to make the industry invest in pollution control and cleaner technologies rather than allow them the easier way of closing down while they shift pollute elsewhere.

Some other issues GDP growth measure – it grows even when we destroy environment, employ child labour, start a war or destroy jobs or cause industrial accidents (like Bhopal) Financialization of the economy – ‘short-termism’ of the stock markets, rewarding of destruction of productive capacity and causing job losses Accounting & financial standards – favour short-term valuation to the detriment of medium or long-term strategies – do not take into account pollution or environmental costs Development Model: hazards of export oriented growth, need for more local, human centred, rather than GDP growth centred economic model

A word about some specific policy measures Carbon Tax - proposal for carbon tax on households v/s. tendency to give tax breaks to high income people – Carbon Tax should be imposed only if 100% of the revenues are directed into investments in GHG emission reductions (renewable energy, energy efficiency and retrofit programs, public transit, as well as a green-energy tax refund to protect low- income population) Subsidies - who should be the subsidies aimed at - Oil and gas industry? Small producers? Emission Trading Schemes – will carbon trading be the next financial bubble?

Decent work in green economy therefore implies …. Ratification, implementation of relevant ILO standards & respect of national labour laws (freedom of association, collective bargaining & social protection – social floor) Strengthening tripartitism, participation & consultation of workers & their unions: in design, implementation & evaluation of policies & programmes Focus on safety, health & environment at the work place – to protect workers, environment & community Incomes policy in the country – poverty wages do not promote sustainable development Capacity building of employers & workers – skills development for green economy

Modeling Enabling Conditions Agriculture Building Cities Energy Finance Forest Manufacturing Tourism Transport Waste Water Investing 2% of global GDP into ten key sectors can kick-start a transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. UNEP Green Economy Report

A green economy can create employment Agriculture - over the next decade, shifting to sustainable agriculture could increase global employment by as much as 4% Forests - forest conservation and reforestation could boost formal employment in this sector by 20% by 2050 Transport - improved energy efficiency across all transport modes combined with modal shift would increase employment by about 10% above business-as-usual by 2050 Energy - expansion of renewables and investments in energy efficiency could generate employment that is 20% higher than business as usual by 2050

World Development Report 2013: Jobs as drivers of development It is not just the number of jobs that matter – some do more for development than others Jobs with the greatest development payoffs are those that make cities function better, connect the economy to global markets, protect the environment, foster trust and civic engagement, or reduce poverty.

What is Decent Work?  What is Decent Work? Work that is productive and delivers a fair income; Work that provides security in the workplace and social protection for workers and their families; Work that offers better prospects for personal development and encourages social integration; Work that ensure social dialogue and participation through freedom of association, the right to organize and bargain collectively; Work that guarantees equal opportunities and equal treatment for all

DWCPs and Green Jobs Initiative DWCP is the vehicle for delivery of ILO cooperation in a specific country – links priorities of the constituents and the ILO – is expected to be formulated through a tripartite participatory process. Trade unions can use the DWCPs as a platform to work on Green Jobs Initiatives. It would be important to know: Who is involved in DWCPs at country level? Are there Green Jobs Initiatives under DWCP? Can social partners work together on this? Which policies/activities/projects are related to green jobs? Which kind of capacity building initiatives can ILO support?

Green, but not decent Examples:  Electronics recycling without adequate occupational safety  Low-wage installers of solar panels  Exploited biofuel plantation laborers Green and decent Examples:  Unionized wind and solar power jobs  Green architects  Well-paid public transit workers Neither green nor decent Examples:  Coal mining with inadequate safety  Women workers in cut flower industry  Hog slaughterhouse workers Decent, but not green Examples:  Unionized car manufacturing workers  Chemical engineers  Airline pilots Decent Work Environment Green and Decent Jobs? A Schematic Overview

Green Jobs: Net Employment Effect New Job Creation: Renewable energy sector; energy performance service, companies; mobility services Elimination: Mining; packaging (material discouraged or banned) Substitution: Shifting from fossil fuels to renewables, automobiles to mass transit, waste disposal to recycling, primary metal production to secondary production Transformation: Existing jobs greened along with changed workplace practices and methods Supply-chain: e.g. steel for wind turbines Radiating Out by Greening Core Areas: (energy, transport) has potential to radiate downstream.

Why A Just Transition? A Just Transition is necessary to: Ensure consultations & involvement of social partners; Ensure that employment, decent work and social inclusion are integral parts of the shift towards a greener economy; Achieve a transition that buffers the downside risks by tackling social, environmental and economic issues through an integrated approach; Ensure respect for rights at work;

Enabling Policies: Key Recommendations from the UNEP GE Report Development strategies Laws and standards International policy architecture Government policies and infrastructure can encourage private sector to invest in environmentally sustainable ventures Create and stimulate markets for green goods and services Incentivize green investments and correct negative externalities Policy and regulatory frameworks Prioritize green investments Favoring Green over Brown Sustainable Public Procurement Pricing Instruments Capacity Building & international cooperation Skills for green jobs Capacity for policy reforms Entrepreneurship and business development

Enabling Policies: Key Recommendations from the ILO, UNEP, ITUC, IOE GJ Report Facilitating environmental change Linking environment and labour through tax reforms Favoring Green over Brown Labour market and education policies Evidence of positive employment effects from green policie s Social dialogue

Together We Can Sustain Planet Earth

Thank You!