Green Jobs: Good for People, Planet and Prosperity

Issue Highlights

22 April 2024

Demography, Labour & Civil Service, Social Protection

Green jobs are a high priority in ASEAN as evidenced by the ASEAN Declaration on Promoting Green Jobs for Equity and Inclusive Growth of ASEAN Community adopted at the ASEAN Summit in 2018. ASEAN is actively promoting green employment in clean energy, energy efficiency and green buildings and urban planning, as well as developing policy to support sustainable production and consumption systems such as circular economy. Despite these commitments the growth of green jobs and the supportive policy ecosystem that enables future growth is not fully developed. There is a need to enhance the understanding of the impact of green jobs and greening on their workforces, what the labour market and skills and training development implications of green jobs will be, and how best to respond to these.

Green jobs are jobs identified as being “good for the people, good for the environment, and good for the economy” (ASEAN Secretariat and ILO, 2021). Green jobs are considered both a mechanism to achieve sustainable development, as well as an outcome. They provide the double dividend of employment and reduced negative environmental impacts.

Regional Study on Green Jobs Policy Readiness in ASEAN

Finding 1

Most AMS have some conceptual definitions of green jobs and green skills, and in many cases, these are developed from the ILO definition of green jobs. The specific defining of green jobs has been of less focus than the overall implementation of the green economy agenda with the belief that creating low carbon development and adapting to climate change will create momentum in the economy for green jobs.

Finding 2

The delineation of green and non-green is more important when developing specific sector strategies, considering negative employment impacts of greening and when considering the skills needs and re-skilling tasks associated with green economies.

Finding 3

Many AMS have explicit strategies in place to implement the green economy in priority sectors – with agriculture, tourism services, the built environment, energy and environmental services (water, waste water, waste) identified as priority sectors in countries. These sector strategies usually include investments and incentives from governments at various levels. The more comprehensive strategies combine these incentives (pull factors) with research and development activities, innovation support and public procurement (push factors).

Finding 4

A range of institutional mechanisms were identified across AMS for coordinating policy frameworks for promoting green jobs and just transition. These typically consisted of inter-ministerial groups and related senior-officer groups. The emerging nature of these institutions means that we do not have a good understanding of how coordination is successfully managed, and what ingredients are critical to the establishment and maintenance of these mechanisms.

Finding 5

Across all AMS, a range of incentives to create private sector demand and awareness for green jobs exist. These range from subsidies, tax exemptions, preferential investment treatment and various forms of regulation. The emerging status of most of these incentives mean they are relatively new, so there is no clarity and evidence of efficacy yet.

ASEAN (2018). ASEAN Declaration on Promoting Green Jobs for Equity and Inclusive Growth. https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Final-Draft-Kuala-Lumpur-Declaration-on-Promoting-Green-Jobs_FIN.pdf

ASEAN Declaration on Promoting Green Jobs for Equity and Inclusive of ASEAN Community

The ASEAN Declaration on Promoting Green Jobs for Equity and Inclusive Growth of ASEAN Community was adopted on 13 November 2018 by the ASEAN Leaders at the 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore.

The Declaration aims to achieve better understanding of green jobs and green skills in fostering green workplace practices, especially in the renewable energy, agriculture, construction, energy, forestry, manufacturing, transport, waste management, urbanisation, tourism, industry, and technology sectors.

This declaration outlines a commitment to undertake several actions aimed at promoting green jobs and green skills within the member states (AMS) of the organisation. These actions are subject to existing national laws, regulations, and policies.

ASEAN Declaration on Promoting Green Jobs for Equity and Inclusive Growth of ASEAN Community

Raise

occupational safety and health standards through developing and regularly reviewing occupational safety and health legislation towards achieving a green environment

Collaborate

with relevant stakeholders to identify gaps between demand and supply on green jobs

Promote

sharing of good practices and knowledge and encourage mutual assistance amongst ASEAN Member States

Encourage

ASEAN Member States to design policies on green jobs and green skills to promote inter-sectoral collaboration

Encourage

industries to improve productivity by means of green technology at workplaces that contribute to a safe and healthy environment

Encourage

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the labour sector with a view to ensure decent work in green economy

Encourage

young generations to participate in promotion and improvement of green jobs and green skills

Promote

equity and inclusiveness by encouraging ASEAN Member States to cooperate with tripartite members, dialogue partners, development partners and other relevant stakeholders from the regional and international organisations

Initiate

formulation, coordination, promotion, research and development of TVET on green skills and national TVET competency certification systems