The Mediterranean Basin is one of the regions of the world that is most vulnerable to climate change. In recent years, the region has witnessed rising temperatures, decreasing and more erratic rainfall, and an increase in extreme weather events, all of which have had an impact on land and sea use, pollution and air quality. In addition, population growth, increasing food insecurity and economic inequalities, pressure from tourism and new industries, and expanding urban structures are exacerbating environmental degradation in the region.
Mediterranean green and circular economy
In December 2023, the intergovernmental organization Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) published a report entitled “Green Circular Economy at Mediterranean Level including Green Skills and Jobs“. The report, edited by the environmental consultancy WE&B – Water, Environment and Beyond – an AMWAJ member, addresses the first thematic axis identified in the UfM 2030GreenerMed Agenda, which focuses on the transition to a green, circular and socially inclusive economy in the Mediterranean. Thematic axis 1 builds on seven of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically numbers 2, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 15.
The concept of a green circular economy aims to integrate economic growth, shared prosperity and a social market economy with ecological and environmental considerations, “preserving natural assets” and “respecting the limits of the planet”. A mapping of regional projects on this theme in 22 Mediterranean countries between 2021–23, carried out by the UfM, showed that the number of such projects has increased by more than 50% in the last two years.
Green jobs are those that actively contribute to the control and prevention of negative environmental impacts.
Nevertheless, the Mediterranean region faces many challenges that hinder the transition to a green and circular economy, including environmental degradation, technological barriers, economic disparities, limited awareness and knowledge, as well as fragmented policies and low cross-border coordination.
The report highlights ongoing initiatives, their impact, challenges and lessons learned. It also focuses on key stakeholders, priority areas for action and key pathways necessary for a just green transition in the Mediterranean. This article briefly summarizes the report, focusing in particular on the role that green jobs can play in this transition.
What are Green Jobs?
A transition to a green circular economy is not only an environmental necessity driven by the impacts of climate change but also an opportunity to rethink and restructure our linear economies to become more sustainable, both socially and environmentally. A green circular transition is envisioned as a collective process, actively developed and implemented by governments, employers, and workers to connect objectives of environmental preservation, sustainable innovations, social inclusion, and economic growth.
Green jobs offer decent work, emphasizing fair employment, security, social protection, worker association, and opportunities for development.
One of the objectives of a green circular economy is the generation of decent, green jobs, through the creation of new working opportunities, the upgrading or “greening” of existing jobs, and the promotion of green skills. The term green job is “the antithesis of ‘brown jobs’, which refers to jobs focused on “highly polluting activities”.
Green jobs, on the contrary, refer to those that actively contribute to the control and prevention of adverse environmental impacts. This includes jobs that support energy reduction, decreased consumption of raw material, curbing of greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste and pollution, and safeguarding and restoring ecosystems.
However, green jobs do not necessarily have to be centered solely on the environment. A job can also be “greened” if its execution incorporates environmental considerations – for example, a restaurant that hires delivery workers to transport food orders by bicycle instead of by car or motorcycle. Green jobs can often, but not exclusively, be found in sectors such as “agriculture, manufacturing, construction, installation, and maintenance, as well as scientific and technical, administrative, and service-related activities”.
Another dimension of green jobs is the integration with the concept of “decent work”, a term coined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1999. Decent work refers to job opportunities and conditions characterized by fairness, security, access to social protection, freedom for workers to organize, and opportunities for professional and personal development.
Returning to the example of delivery workers on bicycles, such a job could only be considered a green job if those workers are employed under fair and transparent conditions, have access to social protection, and can organize in a union or other ways, rather than being hired as platform workers, as is common in many service industry jobs today.
Green jobs can range from low-skilled level jobs, such as waste collectors or seasonal agricultural workers, to middle-skilled roles, such as environmental or HVAC technicians, to high-skilled professions, like climate-change scientists or green building architects.
Regardless of the skill level required, the creation, development, and expansion of green jobs necessitates the learning of new green skills and a change in how these jobs are performed. For example, a seasonal agricultural worker in a green workplace setting must be aware of environmental aspects of their work, including new procedures, materials, and regulations.
In 2023, the World Economic Forum classified green jobs as the fastest-growing work opportunities in the market. Additionally, the number of workers currently employed in a green job is increasing, according to the Global Green Skills Report 2023 by LinkedIn. However, the report also reveals that seven in eight workers do not have a single green skill and that the demand for green jobs exceeds the available level of skills.
Green Jobs in the Mediterranean
The UfM report highlights the scarcity of data on green jobs in the Mediterranean. The rapid and dynamic transition in green job sectors, the diversity within the Mediterranean, and the multitude of green job types all complicate the collection of detailed data.
Despite the data challenge, the report underscored the significant potential and opportunities for Mediterranean countries to develop and sustain green jobs and acquire green skills. There are a number of economic sectors with high potential for circular and green transformation in Mediterranean countries. These include the agricultural and agri-food sectors, tourism, natural resources, and energy sectors.
Across the EU and the Mediterranean a total of around 10 million green jobs could be generated by 2030.
Potential actions towards a more circular economy include the adoption sustainable farming practices and sustainable tourism, developing efficient water management systems, focusing on waste reduction and recycling, expanding marine conservation efforts, and transitioning to green energy sources such as solar and wind.
According to the UfM report, Mediterranean countries are not only “amongst the top 25 global countries in terms of green skill intensity”, but also “across the EU and the Mediterranean a total of around 10 million green jobs could be generated by 2030”. The report particularly emphasizes the potential for growth of green jobs in South Mediterranean regions and the Balkans. Notably, those regions where social and economic inequalities, low economic growth, political instability, and environmental challenges are prevalent.
Expanding green jobs in these regions requires prioritizing the development of green skills among the populations, particularly among youth, women, and disadvantaged groups. It also necessitates a commitment from stakeholders, especially policy makers and the private sector, to support, develop, and sustain green jobs as part of a successful circular transition.
The report highlights that if these efforts are made and priorities are set, the Mediterranean region holds significant potential for a green, circular transition, which could ultimately reduce existing social and economic disparities within the region.
This article is based on the report “Green Circular Economy at Mediterranean Level including Green Skills and Jobs”, published by the UfM and WE&B in December 2023.
