In the past, action to combat climate change was viewed largely as running counter to economic growth, with “going green” implying a sacrifice of prosperity for the sake of the environment. Today, we know better. By taking action to mitigate climate change, companies are promoting sustainable growth and creating high-quality employment.
The United States, for example, has added 1.2 million “clean” jobs to the economy since January, according to a new study by the Ecotech Institute. Since last year, employment has risen by more than 115 percent in the solar industry, and jobs related to energy efficiency have increased by over 50 percent. In China, the International Renewable Energy Agency reports that more than 1.7 million people are already employed in the renewable-energy sector. And the Global Climate Network estimates that seven million additional jobs could be created if government targets for wind, solar, and hydropower are met. Worldwide, an estimated 5.7 million people were employed directly or indirectly in the global renewable-energy industry in 2012 — a figure that could triple by 2030.
Of course, expansion of renewable energy alone is not enough to combat climate change. Smarter ways of managing the planet’s natural assets — such as forests, freshwater supplies, soils, and biodiversity — are also needed to enhance the environment’s capacity to absorb CO2 emissions, while increasing the capacity of communities and countries to adapt to the climate change already under way.
One initiative that addresses climate change from both angles is South Africa’s Expanded Public Works Program, which generated one million employment opportunities during its first five-year phase, and aims to create 4.5 million more by the end of this year. In addition to renewable-energy production, the program emphasizes wetland and forest rehabilitation and fire management. It even addresses social inclusion, with many of those employed coming from vulnerable groups, such as single mothers.
Achieving a meaningful global climate agreement at next year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) — one that advances the long-term vision of a climate-neutral world by 2050 — would substantially boost the potential to create high-quality green jobs. The alternative — continued growth of global CO2 emissions — would not only limit this potential; it would undermine economic output and, according to estimates by the International Labor Organization (ILO), reduce productivity by more than 7 percent, on average, worldwide.
To be sure, some job losses are inevitable, as carbon-intensive industries give way to more sustainable businesses. Managing these losses is integral to ensuring a “just transition” to a climate-neutral economy.
The good news is that the seven most highly polluting industries, which account for 80 percent of CO2 emissions, employ just 10 percent of the labor force. Job growth in the low-carbon economy can easily compensate for these losses. Moreover, governments must initiate retraining and skills development to enable workers to take advantage of new employment opportunities in clean energy and natural-resource management. After all, creating jobs means little if the labor force is not equipped to fill them.
The fact that two of today’s most pervasive challenges — climate change and unemployment (especially among the young and the unskilled) — can be addressed simultaneously, with mutually reinforcing policies, leaves governments and international institutions with no excuse for inaction. The ILO and the UN climate convention recognize this, but they cannot do it alone.
By putting the planet on the path toward de-carbonization, world leaders meeting in New York for the UN climate summit this month and in Paris for the UNCCC next year can deliver a safer, healthier, and more prosperous world that provides millions with decent work opportunities. It is an opportunity that all should seize.
—
©Project Syndicate
