By The Global Journal | May 31, 2012 - 16:00 GMT
The Green Jobs Initiative, a cross-agency partnership encompassing the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the International Trade Union Confederation and the International Employers Organization (IEO), launched its pre RIO+20 report today (31 May) in Geneva. Titled “Working Towards Sustainable Development”, the study emphasized the roles played by different stakeholders in shifting economies and workforces towards green jobs.
Speaking at the launch event, the Executive Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner, explained that working towards a greener economy was not a “positive step to take”, as it was in 1992 during the first Rio sustainable development conference. Instead, it was now an “essential step to take” ahead of the two day international gathering scheduled for 20-22 June. The shift would also eventually result in an estimated net gain of 15-60 million jobs over the next two decades.
Ronnie Goldberg, Vice-President of the IEO, stressed the key role the private sector needed to take in this evolution, estimating it would contribute to up to 85 percent of the costs involved. She also explained, however, that pro-growth policies and business incentives would be required: “if you want green jobs, stimulate all jobs; they are all interdependent”.
Established in 2008, the Green Jobs Initiative defines green jobs as “jobs that reduce the environmental impact of enterprises and economic sectors, ultimately to levels that are sustainable”. The definition encompasses jobs across a variety of sectors, including agriculture, industry, services and administration.
Photo © UNEP
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