Green growth and green jobs

Transcription

1 Green growth and green jobs The view of observer CIVIL SOCIETIES OF THE EU AND JAPAN WORKING TOGETHER ON GLOBAL CHALLENGES 28 May 2010 European Economic and Social Committee

2 green growth equals the growth of jobs, which are environment friendly problem is how green growth can be reached intensification of political, economic and social activities focusing on a strong combination of economic growth and environmental issues

3 The economic crisis has a double nature: it is related to financial markets and to climate change Short and long term social consequences The activities to combine the economy with environmental protection exceed the level Conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

4 Economies of developed countries were transformed towards environmental requirements Developing countries were and still are subject to political tenders regarding the choice of their path and assistance in the pursuit of sustainable development.

5 It should be clearly stipulated that the drive to green the world economy and the institutions which played an important role in this process was an enormous success of the civil society. The most mature entrepreneurs realised that growth would be impossible without environmental protection The framework for a global system of actions for sustainable production and consumption which took shape at the end of the 20th century turned out to be a good scheme for developing programmes designed to end the crisis.

6 Green growth can be seen as a way to pursue economic growth and development, while preventing environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and unsustainable natural resource use. Areas of key significance for the development of the green economy: 1. Improvement of the energy efficiency (of buildings), 2. Development of renewable energy sources, 3. Development of sustainable transport, including hybrid vehicles, high speed rail and rapid bus systems, 4. Development of infrastructure providing access to waters, 5. Support for sustainable forestry and agriculture, including organic production. 6. Others

7 Green jobs can be defined as those that reduce environmental footprints: 1. cutting the consumption of energy, raw materials and water; 2. decarbonising and dematerialising the economy; 3. bringing down the emission of greenhouse gases; 4. adopting policies to adapt to climate change; and 5. protecting and restoring the ecosystem. The ethical component is in the nature of green job

8 In a more radical perspective, GE takes a new social model as defined by more ethical ways of life that minimise any kind of footprint, even pointing towards de-growth ideas. In a more common and widespread perspective, GE defines the orientation of economic policy to prefer greener investments and incentives to greener products/processes coupled with the firms attitude to respond to increasingly greener consumers demand through sustained innovation. UE green Jobs based on the narrow definition of eco-industries, there are currently 4.6 million green jobs; the figure reaches 8.67 million, or 6% of the EU-27 workforce, when we take account of activities related to environmental resources, such as forestry or ecotourism. use a broader definition that includes indirect and ancillary employment, brings the total employed to 36.4 million, or 17% of the workforce.

9 The period of transition to green growth. 1. Change in a number of policies 2. Policies supporting technologies 3. Correct capital and labour flows 4. Mitigation of employment losses in environmentally harmful industries

10 Green growth programmes focus on innovation. The lack of cheap technologies impedes progress and approval of green growth. This affects job creation and education Today, we focus on data and forecasts concerning the USA, Europe, China, India and Brazil. Will green technologies reach developing countries, will they improve the skills of human resources, or will be a green job market be created?

11 green growth should not be directly identified with sustainable development which we should pursue bearing in mind the future of the planet

12 Thank you Krzysztof Kamieniecki