15 May 2008: This International Labor Organization (ILO) background note was drafted in preparation for the G8 Labor and Employment Ministers Conference, which took place in Niigata, Japan, from 11-13 May 2008.

The note presents an overview of the implications for employment and decent work policies by shifting to more sustainable development paths, focusing in particular on climate change and ways to combine growth, the reduction of poverty and equitable development with greenhouse gas mitigation.
The note sets out the state of knowledge of the impact on employment of climate change and policy responses. It concludes by suggesting ways in which G8 leadership could reinforce the initiative of the ILO to develop and implement a global green jobs strategy [The background note].