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Friday Feb 12, 2010

Green Jobs for the Poor: Why a Public Employment Approach is Needed Now

In the context of the economic and environmental challenges that the world is facing today, there have been calls for a Global Green New Deal (see, for example, UNEP/ILO/IOE/ITUC, 2008). Such calls have highlighted the employment-creation benefits of “green” investments, mainly those aimed at accelerating the shift to low-carbon economies. Policy innovations by developing countries, such as South Africa and India in particular, also point to the value of keeping sight of employment-generating environmental activities that are relevant for reclaiming or enhancing access to public environmental goods and services, as well as for improving the productive livelihoods of the poor. This One Pager outlines a variety of economic rationales for promoting these types of “green jobs” and adopting a “public employment” approach in this regard.

 

 

Download: http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCOnePager107.pdf

Comments:

The South African public works approach is dominated by short term relief aim to spread benefits by casual labour. Cost-effective opportunities for longer term and sustainable jobs for work seekers settling on urban peripheries, include operation and maintenance of basic waste services (stormwater,shades of greywater, sewage and solid waste streams). Local level monitoring to realize preventative regulation are "green" related jobs. Savings to local government of reactive responses to dysfunction and resultant river system pollution should target residents who are users of basic services. Targetting a major issue,often fronted by representativity rather than those living in, and surrounded by hazardous environmental conditions.

Posted by Deborah Cousins on February 15, 2010 at 05:54 AM BRST #

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