Transcript Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable and Low

A105067
ACTRAV/ITC-ILO Course
Trade Union Training on Capacity Building for
Promoting Decent Work
Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable
and Low-Carbon World
Structure of the Presentation
The presentation is structured as follows:
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Context
Consequences
Is this Truly the Cost of Development? Environmental Issues and Social Issues
Key Points to Note
Green Jobs Initiative
The ILO Mandate
What does the Green Jobs Initiatives bring into the Environmental Debate
Sustainable Development vs Green Economy
Defining Green Jobs
The Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability
Sectors with Potential for Green Jobs Creation
Employment Impact of the Shift towards Green Economy
Some Fundamental Concerns
Why A Just Transition?
DWCPs and Green Jobs Initiative
Success is when…
CONTEXT
Interaction between the various components of the
planet’s climate system
Continues…
 Empirical evidence has shown that the current so-called development growth
model is unsustainable:
Environmentally;
Economically;
Socially unsustainable;
Employment-wise.
 The global environmental crisis has triggered imbalances among the 3 pillars of
Sustainable Development namely:
Economic development;
Social development;
Ecological preservation.
The EARTH do not have the capacity to withstand the current
model of production and consumption – this is a challenge
that has be addressed by organise labour.
Consequences
 Depletion of the planet earth at a much faster rate than
it can regenerate itself.
 Climate change and global warming.
 Pollution of the environment.
 Destruction of biodiversity.
 Serious implications for both quantity & quality of jobs.
 Environmental debt towards future generations.
Endangering of the continuity of humanity
(political, economic, social, cultural, food, employment,
trade union dimensions, etc.)
Is this Truly the Cost for Development?
 1.4 billion people are currently living in extreme poverty,
struggling to survive on less than US$ 1.25 a day;
 200 million people are currently unemployed;
 75% of the world’s people have insufficient or no access to social
security;
 1.5 billion people have no access to safe drinking water;
 2.6 billion people (i.e. 40% of the world’s population) lacks
adequate sanitation;
 3 billion people (i.e. nearly 50% of the world’s population) have
no access to clean cooking energy;
 1.6 billion people have no electricity;
Environmental Issues:
Human use of natural resources and the resulting climate conditions are
making our environment vulnerable and uncertain
Atmosphere
The World Health
Organization states that
2.4 million people die
each year from causes
directly attributable to air
pollution (1)
Land use
Since the Neolithic
Revolution about 47% of
the world‘s forests have
been lost to human use (2)
Oceans
10% of the world‘s
population (600 million
people) live in low lying
areas vulnerable to sea
level rise (3)
Source: (1) "Estimated deaths & DALYs attributable to selected environmental risk factors, by WHO Member State, 2002". Retrieved 2010-08-29
(2) World Resources Institute (1998). World Resources 1998–1999. Oxford: Oxford University Press
(3) IWA WaterWiki 2010.
Environmental Issues:
The excessive consumption and poor management of key resources is
contributing to a yet more vulnerable world
Energy
Water
Waste
To meet the energy demand
of all households
worldwide, energy supplies
must double by 2050 (1)
Only half of the population
of Africa has access to
clean water leading to
thousands of deaths per
day (2)
In 2008, the EU-27
produced about 2 600
million tonnes of waste, of
which 37% was hazardous.
Relative to the size of the
population, that averaged
5,300 kg per inhabitant (3)
Source: (1) “Deciding the Future: Energy Policy Scenarios to 2050” World Energy Council 2007, (2) Waterfacts. Water.org 2011, (3) European Commission’s Eurostat
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Social Issues:
Child labour and lack of access to education remain strong blockers of
economic and human development in many regions
Jobs and Labour
Hazardous work is
increasing among older
children, aged 15–17.
Within four years, it
jumped 20 per cent –
from 52 million to 62
million. Boys outnumber
girls by two to one in this
age group1
Peace, security and social justice
Social disruptions like war,
crime and corruption divert
resources from areas of
greatest human need,
damage the capacity of
societies to plan for the
future, and threaten human
well-being and the
environment 2
Education
Conflict has far-reaching
consequences in education.
While Liberia now has peace
and stability, 447,000 of its
children were out of school in
2008 – an increase of almost
180,000 over 19993
Sources: (1) ILO’s Hazardous Child Labour Report 2011, (2) Blewitt (2008), (3) UNESCO’s Education For All Progress Monitoring Report 2010
The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5
percent of global income, while the richest 20 percent accounts
for 75 percent
Population Living on Less than 1 Dollar per Day
Source: 2008. UN Human Development Report
Continues…
 Many jobs remain “dirty, dangerous and difficult” with
workers in industries such as recycling, waste management,
biomass energy and construction facing hazardous working
conditions and substandard wages
 Increase in income inequality in the past two decades, both in
North and South
 Aspirations for clean environment, jobs, better life, freedom
and social justice are triggering social unrests across the
world.
Key Points to Note
 The whole idea that the depletion of natural resources is the
“necessary cost” for achieving development is not confirmed
by reality.
 We are not making progress on equity or freedom, and in the
meantime, we are wasting the planet.
 The model of development of the rich is not generalizable to
all.
 Investing in “green” measures during these times of economic
crisis may deliver a “double-dividend” by providing jobs and
revitalising the economy, while also contributing to the
improvement of the environment.
Green Jobs Initiative
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Green Jobs Initiative, started in 2007, is a joint initiative by:
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International Labour Organisation (ILO)
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
International Employers’ Organisation (IOE) – came on-board in
2008
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The objective of the Green Jobs Initiative is to help
countries in realising the potential for green jobs and
positive labour market transition in the face of climate
change.
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The Green Jobs Initiative responds to the dual challenge of
climate change and decent work deficits.
Continues…
“The mounting cost of energyintensive production and
consumption patterns is widely
recognised. It is timely to move
towards a high-employment, low
carbon economy. Green jobs hold
the promise of a triple dividend:
sustainable enterprises; poverty
reduction; and job-centred
economic recovery.”
Mr. Juan Somavia,
Former Director General of the
ILO, March 2009
The ILO Mandate
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ILO is a tripartite specialized UN agency, dedicated to
bringing decent work and livelihoods, job-related security
and better living standards to workers all around the world
through the DWA.
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ILO’s Decent Work Agenda consists of four strategic
objectives:
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Promote and realise standards and fundamental principles and rights at work;
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Create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and
income;
Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all;
Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue.
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ILO Green Jobs programme is a crosscutting initiative
combining elements from each of the four strategic areas.
What does the Green Jobs Initiative bring into
the Environmental Debate?
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The Green Jobs Initiative brings employment, labour
market and social justice perspectives into the
environmental and climate change discussion.
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ILO Green Jobs Initiative promotes better balance
between the three pillars of sustainable development
(i.e. economic growth, social progress and ecological
preservation).
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The ‘greening’ of the economy is a positive step towards
a cleaner planet, decent work for all and sustainable
development.
Sustainable Development vs.
Green Economy
GREEN ECONOMY
LOW CARBON
GROWTH
RESOURCE
EFFICIENCY
SOCIAL
INCLUSIVITY
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ?
Defining Green Jobs
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Green Jobs are work in agriculture, manufacturing,
research and development, administration, and service
activities that contribute substantially to preserving or
restoring environmental quality.
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They are Jobs that help to:
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Protect ecosystems and biodiversity;
Reduce energy, material and water consumption through high
efficiency strategies;
De-carbonize the economy;
Minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and
pollution.
The Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability
Bearable
Viable
Sustainable
Equitable
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Source: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/who-we-are/what-is-sustainability/
Sectors with Potentials for Green
Jobs Creation
Sustainable
Agriculture and
Forestry
Renewable
Energy: Wind,
Solar, Biomass,
Hydro
Environmental
Services
Recycling and
Waste
Management
Mobility: Mass
Transportation
Services
Employment Impact of Shift towards
Green Economy
New jobs will be
created e.g. as in
manufacturing of
pollution control
devices
Some
employment will
be substituted
e.g. as in shifting
from fossil fuels
to renewables
Certain jobs may
be eliminated
e.g. as when
packing
materials are
discouraged or
banned and their
production is
discontinued
Many jobs will be
transformed and
redefined e.g.
new skill sets,
work methods
and profiles
Some Fundamental Concerns
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Capacity building in terms of skills development for green jobs
Technology transfer
Transition in employment structures and in workplaces
Gender issues
Safe and healthy working conditions
Just transition
Equitable distribution of jobs
Equal access to green jobs
Rights protection and respect for good labour practices
Social dialogue
Sustainable environmental practices
State, market and civil society dynamics
Environment
Green and Decent Jobs? A Schematic Overview
Green, but not decent
Green and decent
Examples:
Examples:
 Electronics recycling without
adequate occupational safety
 Low-wage installers of solar panels
 Exploited biofuel plantation
laborers
 Unionized wind and solar power
jobs
 Green architects
 Well-paid public transit workers
Neither green nor decent
Decent, but not green
Examples:
Examples:
 Coal mining with inadequate
safety
 Women workers in cut flower
industry
 Hog slaughterhouse workers
 Unionized car manufacturing
workers
 Chemical engineers
 Airline pilots
Decent Work
Why A Just Transition?
Transition phase is likely to entail some challenges:
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Within certain key economic sectors that accounts for 1.5 billions workers or half of the global
workforce;
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For certain group of workers.
Therefore, a Just Transition is necessary to:
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Ensure consultations and involvement of social partners;
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Ensure that employment, decent work and social inclusion are integral parts of the shift towards a
greener economy;
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Achieve a transition that buffers the downside risks by tackling social, environmental and
economic issues through an integrated approach;
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Ensure respect for rights at work;
Continues…
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Promote social & labour market policies, which are essential for SD;
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Promote skills and education policies to facilitate job transition and improve employability;
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Ensure equitable outcomes for women and men;
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Guarantee social protection & assistance for the most vulnerable;
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Promote social dialogue and CB to ensure that the creation of jobs in quantity and of quality is at
the heart of a greener economy;
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Ensure regular investment in research on the impact of environmental degradation on jobs and
livelihoods;
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Facilitate the transfer of technology to developing countries to deal with climate change impacts
and meet their developmental priorities;
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Encourage partnerships and networking among stakeholders at all levels;
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Promote structural transformation: Industrial Policies, Industrial Development, Value Addition,
Economic Diversification and conducive climate to rekindle the growth of infant industries.
DWCPs and Green Jobs Initiative
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DWCP is the vehicle for delivery of ILO cooperation in a
specific country – links priorities of the constituents and
the ILO – is expected to be formulated through a
tripartite participatory process.
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Trade unions can use the DWCPs as a platform to work
on Green Jobs Initiatives. It would be important to know:
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Who is involved in DWCPs at country level?
Are there Green Jobs Initiatives under DWCP?
Can social partners work together on this?
Which policies/activities/projects are related to green jobs?
Which kind of capacity building initiatives can ILO support?
Continues…
Trade unions can use the DWCPs as leverage
to promote work on Green Jobs Initiatives;
unions need to:
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Adopt a position and on Green Economy & Decent Work;
Invest in knowledge development on the impact of the
environmental crisis on employment and livelihoods;
Hone their competencies on the Green Economy, Decent
Work, Social Dialogue and CB issues;
Demand and ensure respect for Rights at Work;
Demand real Social Dialogue on the Green Economy;
Demand the inclusion of the Green Job Initiatives into
the DWCPs.
Success is when…
 The TUM is transformed into a Critical Mass with clout and
competent capacity to:
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Establish a link between DWA & environmental protection;
Defend and promote social justice & protect workers’ rights;
Negotiate improve working conditions;
Advocate for SP to tackle poverty, inequality & social exclusions;
Forge alliances and networking relationships with other actors;
Demand real structural transformation: sound Ind policies + Ind devt;
Achieve the inclusion of the Green Jobs Initiatives into the DWCPs;
Ensure rule of law and good governance, including the fight against
corruption;
Ensure allocation of adequate and predictable funding for the
implementation of the DWCPs.
Together We Can Sustain Planet Earth
The End!
Any Questions?