Green Jobs; a reaction to the text

The first step we take on Monday in transitioning to a green economy, is to realise that we actually have to do some work to get there. Work to make our buildings more energy efficient, to better our transport systems, to make the shift to renewable energy, and to green existing jobs and sectors to make them more sustainable. This need is two-fold – to tackle climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation; and to provide green and decent work to the many millions of unemployed and underemployed people around the world. But, looking at the Future We Want text here at the Rio+20 Summit, you’d never know that. There is no sense of urgency, there is no ambition, and there is no respect for those people who are eager to do the work to shift to a green economy, but are still not being provided with the opportunity to do so.

We came into the negotiations thinking that countries might agree to implement national strategies for green job creation, especially for young people. But all we have is ‘encouragement’ of the private sector to contribute to job creation, and ‘encouragement’ to share experiences and best practices on ways to address the high levels of youth unemployment. ‘Encouraging’ is not committing. ‘Encouraging’ is not, well, that encouraging.

We need national policies. We need strategies to create green jobs to match up the people that need the work, with the work that needs to be done. But the one reference to the greening of existing jobs has been deleted, and the term ‘green jobs’ is now mentioned only once in the text. The issue is one of definition, and this is a challenge at the local, as well as international level. People are suspicious of new language and new concepts. There are many definitions out there, but to me, a green job is one that provides a living wage, opportunities for further training and progression, a safe and healthy work environment, and has environmental stewardship at the core of it.

And yet, countries here can still only agree that they ‘view the implementation of green economy policies by countries that seek to apply them for the transition towards sustainable development as a common undertaking.’ Which basically translates as, ‘we will give anyone that attempts anything a pat on the back’. This approach is a clear signal that answers are not only to be found here in the UN. If we want to create a skilled and knowledgeable green workforce, we will have to continue to push our governments once we return home.

That is what I plan to do with the East London Green Jobs Alliance. We are creating practical demonstration projects, aiming to take young people from unemployment, through training and into green and decent work. We are lobbying the Greater London Authority to make green economy a priority over the next 4 years, starting on Monday. And I hope you’ll do the same.

A version of this article first appeared in Outreach