Brussels, 24 September 2008: The launching of a major report “Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low Carbon World” in New York today is a major step towards action to help create millions of new environmentally-friendly jobs around the world while underlining the need for just and fair transition for workers and their families affected by climate change and by government decisions to cut carbon emissions.

“This report shows the massive potential for new jobs in green products and services and underlines just how important it is for governments, many of which have paid little or no attention to the social and employment aspects of climate change, to put the right mechanisms in place to ensure ‘greening’ of existing workplaces and support for those whose livelihoods are affected by adjusting to a low-carbon global economy,” said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder.

“We know that there is little if any chance of the global goals to cut carbon emissions being met until governments put their full weight behind the green jobs agenda. This means investment in job creation and just transition, building the necessary skills, more funding for research and development, technology transfer to poorer nations and, of critical importance, making sure that green jobs are decent jobs, where workers’ fundamental rights are respected,” Ryder added.

Ryder, along with UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner, ILO Director General Juan Somavia and International Organisation of Employers Vice-President Ronnie Goldberg, participated in the official launch of the report, which was commissioned by UNEP for the Green Jobs Initiative, which brings together UNEP, the ILO, the ITUC and the International Organisation of Employers.

For more information, see:
UNEP Website
ILO Website

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018