17 August 2012: A report sponsored by the International Labour Organization and produced by Sustainlabour highlights the potential to create one million “green economy” jobs in Spain by 2020, in the renewable energy, transport, construction, waste management and other sectors. It notes that these sectors have weathered the recession better than others by retaining more employment.
The authors of “Green Jobs For Sustainable Development – The Case of Spain” report that throughout Europe, employment creation in sectors with some environmental content has been positive throughout the recession. They find that the renewable energy and waste management sectors make up almost half of all green jobs in Spain at present, and that recent growth in the renewables sector could be boosted further by adopting a 20% renewables target for energy production. Other new jobs could stem from: infrastructure construction; industrial and service activities for sustainable transport; housing refurbishment to improve insulation and energy efficiency; increased demand for waste management services; and recycling activities in the iron, steel, aluminum, cement and paper industries.
The report highlights legislation as the main driving force for growth in green jobs, encompassing regulatory, planning and management mechanisms that could include “direct financing of employment niches” related to the environment. The report also cites increased corporate responsibility for the environment and greater public awareness as factors that promote a rise in green jobs. Anticipating a rise in demand for green jobs, the report calls on the Government of Spain to adopt explicit policies for training and skill development, to prepare the labor market.
Finally, the report highlights the potential of policies promoting green job creation to improve Spain’s progress towards its Kyoto Protocol commitments to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The potential to create one million green jobs is based on data from the Observatory on Sustainability in Spain (OSE), the Biodiversity Foundation (FB) and the European Commission. [Publication: Green Jobs For Sustainable Development – The Case of Spain] [ILO Press Release] [ILO Webpage on Green Jobs] [Sustainlabour Website]