GREEN JOBS

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)) defines a green job as "work in agriculture, manufacturing, research and development, administration, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving and restoring environmental quality." In essence, green jobs are roles that protect and promote the environment, continually considering their impact on the planet's health and striving to minimize it. 

Key objectives of green jobs include increasing the efficiency of energy and raw material consumption, limiting greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste and pollution, protecting and restoring ecosystems, and contributing to progressive adaptation to climate change. 

Green jobs significantly impact the economy by producing goods or providing services that benefit the environment. The transition to a decarbonized economy is crucial to curb climate change and has the potential to create millions of green jobs. The circular economy, which emphasizes reusing, repairing, recycling, and sustainable manufacturing and consumption, will also be a source of new green job opportunities. Jobs and safety nets created during this transition period are referred to as  ‘green employment’ with a primary focus on keeping workers employed and fostering growth in new sectors. 

The decarbonization of the economy and the development of the circular economy will lead to the emergence of new professions and the adaptation of existing ones to the green economy. The sectors with the greatest potential to create green jobs include: 

• Energy: Renewable energy creates over 500,000 jobs annually and employs more than 10 million people globally. 
• Agriculture: The organic farming market continues to grow worldwide, requiring more labor due to its focus on optimizing natural resources and minimizing the use of machinery and agrochemicals . 
• Pollution Prevention: This includes pollution control, evaluation, and prevention, creating job opportunities for specialists in industrial pollution. 
• Tourism: Ecotourism, which aims to minimize harmful human impacts while traveling, creates jobs related to protected areas and the revitalization of rural areas. 
• Transportation: With transportation responsible for over 30% of CO2 emissions in the European Union, measures to reduce transport emissions open job opportunities in sectors involving electric cars, public transport, and electrified rail freight transport.