Environment
The pursuit of green-collar jobs
In a world that attempts to move towards a low-carbon economy
Efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change have created a new market, generating new opportunities, dubbed green jobs. According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, over the coming decades, millions of green jobs would be created in sectors such as energy, transport, construction, agriculture, forestry and industries
Moving away from fossil fuels would see a job reduction in oil, gas and coal industries. The emerging renewable energy sector would compensate this and create millions more jobs. By 2030
- 2.1 million jobs would be created in wind energy sector
- 6.3 million jobs in solar power
- 12 million jobs in biofuel-related agriculture and industry
- By 2025, India will create 900,000 jobs in biomass gasification alone
- Bus rapid transit systems would become a major employer offering substantial jobs in retrofitting diesel buses and in managing CNG or hybrid buses. In New Delhi, the introduction of 6,100 CNG buses by 2009 would create 18,000 jobs
- 111 million people, in construction, would use new building technology
- Construction of green buildings, by retrofitting, and using efficient home appliances, would generate up to 3.5 million jobs in Europe and the US by 2030. The potential is higher in developing countries
- Small farms and local food supply can promote local employment
- But this seems unlikely. With growing demand on global food production, small farmers would lose out to large retailers and capital-intensive producers. This would create rural unemployment
- Since deforestation contributes to 18 per cent of all GHG emissions, planting trees and sustainable forestry would create jobs, mostly in developing and poor countries
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Source Green jobs Towards decent work in a sustainable, low carbon world-a report by United Nations Environment Programme