Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World (Full report)

The report entitled “Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World” is the first comprehensive study on the emergence of a “green economy” and its impact on the world of work. It includes new data that shows a changing pattern of employment in which green jobs are being generated in many sectors and economies around the world as a result of measures to tackle climate change and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. This has also led to changing patterns of investment flows into areas such as renewable energy and energy efficiency at the household and industrial level. Within current policy frameworks, only a fraction of the potential benefits for jobs and development is forthcoming.

Contents Executive Summary........................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Part I Definitions and Policies.......................................................................................................................................................................31

1. Definitions, Scope, and Concepts ............................................................................................................................................33

Defining and Counting Green Jobs........................................................................................................................................................................35 Green and Decent Jobs..................................................................................................................................................................................................38 Shades of gren..................................................................................................................................................................................................................40 Employment Shifts............................................................................................................................................................................................................43

Labor, Energy, and Materials Productivity...........................................................................................................................................................48

2. Green Policies and Business Practices .....................................................................................................................................53

Opportunity and Innovation ......................................................................................................................................................................................53 The Policy Toolbox: Financial and Fiscal Shifts .................................................................................................................................................56

The Policy Toolbox: Mandates ...................................................................................................................................................................................63

3. Toward a New Production/Consumption Model..................................................................................................................73

Durability and Repairability .........................................................................................................................................................................................74

A New Service Economy ...............................................................................................................................................................................................77 Rethinking Consumption..............................................................................................................................................................................................80

A New Approach to Work Hours ..............................................................................................................................................................................81

Part II Employment Impacts .........................................................................................................................................................................85

1. Energy Supply Alternatives .........................................................................................................................................................89

Employment Trends In Extractive Industries.....................................................................................................................................................91 Investment in Renewables...........................................................................................................................................................................................92 Renewables’ Employment Potential.......................................................................................................................................................................96

Wind Power.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................103 Solar Photovoltaics.........................................................................................................................................................................................................109 Solar Thermal .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................115 Biofuels ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................117 Summary..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................126 2. Buildings.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 131

Energy Efficiency .............................................................................................................................................................................................................133 Green Buildings................................................................................................................................................................................................................137 Retrofitting ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................140 Energy-Efficient Building Components.............................................................................................................................................................143

3. Transportation............................................................................................................................................................................... 149 Aviation .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................149 Road Transport..................................................................................................................................................................................................................150 Transportation and the Wider Economy ..........................................................................................................................................................162

Urban Mobility..................................................................................................................................................................................................................163 Public Transport ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................164 Rail ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................169 Implications of a Modal Shift...................................................................................................................................................................................170
4.. Basic Industry................................................................................................................................................................................. 173
Iron and Steel......................................................................................................................................................................................................................174
Aluminum.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................186
Cement...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................195
Pulp and Paper...................................................................................................................................................................................................................203
Recycling...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................212
5.. Food and Agriculture................................................................................................................................................................... 223
The Environmental Footprint of Global-Industrial Agriculture.............................................................................................................224
Employment Trends.......................................................................................................................................................................................................228
Opportunities for Green Employment in the Existing Food System................................................................................................234
Beyond the Agro-Industrial Model.......................................................................................................................................................................243
6.. Forestry............................................................................................................................................................................................. 255
Employment Estimates................................................................................................................................................................................................256
Avoiding Deforestation................................................................................................................................................................................................261
Afforestation and Reforestation..............................................................................................................................................................................264
Agroforestry.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................265
Sustainable Forest Management (SFM).............................................................................................................................................................266
Part III Outlook and Conclusions.............................................................................................................................................................. 275
1.. A Fair and Just Transition............................................................................................................................................................ 277
The ILO Framework.........................................................................................................................................................................................................278
Business Approaches to Just Transition.............................................................................................................................................................280
Trade Union Approaches............................................................................................................................................................................................282
Just Transition in National Contexts.....................................................................................................................................................................285
Greening the Workplace..............................................................................................................................................................................................286
Job Losses and Retraining .........................................................................................................................................................................................288
The Flexicurity Option ................................................................................................................................................................................................291
Challenges to Just Transition ...................................................................................................................................................................................292
2.. Conclusions and Recommendations..................................................................................................................................... 295
Key Job Findings...............................................................................................................................................................................................................295
Main concepts...................................................................................................................................................................................................................299
Real Potential, Formidable Challenges...............................................................................................................................................................300
Pathways to a Sustainable Future..........................................................................................................................................................................303
Endnotes........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 313