COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Green Employment Initiative: Tapping into the job creation potential of the green economy
Date: 2014-07-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: clean technology, competitiveness, economic recovery, greenhouse gas, innovation, job creation, reduction of gas emissions, renewable energy, sustainable development, waste recycling













EUR-Lex - 52014DC0446 - EN











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52014DC0446

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Green Employment Initiative: Tapping into the job creation potential of the green economy /* COM/2014/0446 final */









1.         Introduction
The Europe 2020 Strategy recognises the
central role of the transition towards a green, low carbon and resource
efficient economy in achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The inefficient use of resources, the unsustainable pressure
on the environment, and climate change, as well as social exclusion
and inequalities pose challenges to long-term economic growth and an alternative
growth model going "beyond GDP" has been on the agenda for many years[1]. 
A model for green growth –
leading to low carbon, climate resilient and resource efficient economy - is
used to depict a structural economic change which is mainly driven by scarcity
of resources, technological change and innovation, new markets, and changes in industrial and consumer demand patterns[2]. Resources,
raw material and energy[3]
prices is already impacting the cost structure of companies, as
global demand for those resources will continue to rise due to increasing consumption
in emerging economies. Today’s linear model - where one “takes-makes-consumes
and disposes” – will progressively shift towards a circular model where one gets
more value added and more benefit from each ton of material, each joule of
energy and each hectare of land, by saving, re-using and recycling materials,
and where resource productivity will define future competitiveness[4].
Green growth is both a challenge and
an opportunity for the labour market and skills which, in turn,
are key factors for enabling green growth. The
transition will bring about fundamental transformations across the entire
economy and across a wide range of sectors: additional
employment will be created, some jobs will be replaced and others redefined[5]. In
this context, better targeting and coordination of labour market
measures and tools are essential to create the necessary conditions to support
green employment, bridge skill gaps and labour shortages, and anticipate
change in human capital needs.
The 2012 Commission Employment Package
puts forward a framework for a job-rich recovery putting emphasis on the need to further
develop labour market tools and identify skills
needs in order to support the transition to a green economy and progress
towards
the Europe 2020 employment objectives[6].

The 2013 and 2014 Annual Growth Surveys
stressed the job creation potential of the green economy and the need to
develop strategic frameworks in which labour market and skills policies play an
active role in supporting job creation[7].
Nevertheless, integrated policy frameworks linking
green growth and employment exist in only a small number of Member States, with
the majority having a disjointed and fragmented approach[8].

In addition, as stated in the 7th
Environment Action Programme, tapping the full growth and jobs potential of the
green economy depends on improving environmental integration and policy
coherence so that sectoral policies at Union and Member State levels are
developed and implemented[9]. In 2014 the
European Resource Efficiency Platform (EREP) also highlighted the need to
develop a broad strategy for greening jobs, skills and education, and called
upon the EU to integrate sustainability objectives, identify labour market
instruments to accompany the transition, mobilise EU funding, support exchange
of good practice, promote awareness raising and engagement, and ensure follow
up in the European Semester of economic policy coordination[10].
This Communication aims at defining
strategic framework conditions to allow labour market and skills policies to
play an active role in supporting employment and job creation in the green
economy. It puts forward targeted policy responses and tools to ensure that the
employment and environmental agendas converge and to contribute to reaching the
Europe 2020 objectives. 
2.         Towards a green economy – opportunities and challenges
for the labour market
The greening of the
economy is mainly driven by a long-term global trend of
increasing resource scarcity and rising energy and raw material prices which is
exacerbated by Europe's growing dependence on imports of these resources. In
order to address these challenges, the EU has
implemented a number of policies and strategies aimed at supporting the shift
towards a resource efficient and low carbon economy, while strengthening EU's
competitiveness. One of the most significant is the 2020 Climate and Energy
Package which sets targets to be reached by 2020 for greenhouse gas emission
reductions, renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency. It is widely acknowledged that a successful transition towards a green
and resource and energy efficient economy will reshape labour markets. Understanding the labour
market implications is therefore necessary to better anticipate
and manage structural adjustments[11].

There has
been considerable job creation in the environmental
goods and services sector (EGSS) – often labelled as "green jobs" – even during the
economic crisis. Employment in the EU increased from 3
to 4.2 million between 2002 and 2011, including by 20% during the recession
years[12]. 
The
potential of employment creation linked to the production of energy from
renewable sources, energy efficiency, waste and water management, air quality,
restoring and preserving biodiversity and developing green infrastructure is
significant and is resilient to changes in the business cycle. 
For
instance, a 1% increase of the rate of growth of the water industry in Europe can create between 10,000 and 20,000 new jobs[13].
Tourism and recreation in Natura 2000 sites are estimated to directly support
around 8 million jobs corresponding to 6% of the total employment in the EU[14]. Implementing existing legislation on waste prevention and management could create more than 400 000 new jobs[15]
and the review of the waste legislation now proposed by
the Commission could create an estimated further 180 000 jobs[16], while opening up new
markets, making better use of resources, reducing dependence on imports of raw materials, and
lowering pressure on the environment[17]. 
Internal
transformation and redefinition of jobs will affect sectors with a high share
of emissions (energy power, transport, agriculture, building which are responsible
for respectively 33%, 20%, 12% and 12% of EU greenhouse gas emissions)[18].
Increased investment in insulation and energy efficiency is likely to have a
positive impact on job creation in the construction sector where more than four
million workers will need up-skilling[19].
Jobs should also be created in the biomass and biofuels sectors[20]. In
the agricultural and forestry sectors, newly introduced greening components
enhance the delivery of public services from agriculture and forestry while
ensuring green growth in these sectors. There are opportunities for job
creation in the agricultural sector, in particular through quality production, organic
farming, landscape management, green farm/eco-tourism, green (environmental)
services and/or infrastructure in rural areas.
For energy
intensive industries (e.g. chemicals or iron and steel), the picture is more
complex, as they face both challenges and opportunities resulting from the need
to mitigate emissions and the development of new sectors and goods. In order to
address the competitiveness of the industries which are at risk of relocation
due to the impact of climate policies, the Commission has put in place measures
to prevent “carbon leakage”[21].
In the chemical sector, a greener chemical industry is estimated to create more
jobs than in the petroleum industry and the current chemical industry[22]. In
the steel industry, use of recyclates, such as scrap steel, results in major
energy savings and therefore has a positive impact on the competitiveness of the
sector.
As for the wider
economy, by increasing the efficiency of production processes, adopting
innovative solutions to save resources, developing new business models, or
offering more sustainable products and services, companies can expand their
markets and create new jobs, while transforming existing ones. Resource productivity in the
EU grew by 20% in the period 2000-2011. Maintaining this rate would lead to a
further increase by 30% by 2030, and could boost GDP by nearly 1%, while
creating more than 2 million jobs.
3.         Policy
responses
Dynamic and
well-functioning labour markets have a key role to play in facilitating the
transition to a green and resource efficient economy. EU-level
action should focus on the following:
-       
Bridging the skills gaps;
-       
Anticipating change, securing transitions and
promoting mobility;
-       
Supporting job creation;
-       
Increasing data quality.
3.1       Bridging
the skills gaps
While a green
economy will create new jobs and open new markets, Europe’s competitiveness,
innovative capacity and productivity will strongly depend on the availability
of skilled workers. This means fostering skills developments (3.1.1); and better forecasting skills needs across sectors and industries to
allow the relevant authorities and stakeholders to adapt to change (3.1.2).
3.1.1    Fostering skills development

While Member States are developing "green"
skills[23]
classifications, it is now established that the transition
to a greener economy will have a significant impact on the skills needs, with
increased demand for skilled workforce in growing eco-industries, up-skilling
of workers across all sectors, and re-skilling of workers in sectors vulnerable
to restructuring[24].
The intensity of eco-innovation will variably impact job-skill
requirements across sectors and industries. 
Where correlated with strong
innovation, new occupations will require generic skills as well as science,
technology and mathematics skills (STEM) as part of compulsory and tertiary
education. Up-skilling
across all sectors and occupations will be necessary to acquire new skills and
knowledge,
such as knowledge
of new insulation materials, new approaches to building materials, design,
engineering, knowledge of regulations, etc. Skills
associated with the green economy are not always entirely new or
"unique" skills. They combine transversal competences and
"specific" skill sets. In some cases,
certain tasks and responsibilities, that require specific combinations of
skills and knowledge, will form new occupational profiles.
Facilitating the adaptation of the
workforce and of education and training systems requires targeted intervention
by public authorities to avoid skills bottlenecks, support occupational
transitions and enhance the responsiveness of the education and training
systems to emerging skill and qualification demands. This requires
reviewing and updating of qualifications and corresponding education and
training curricula[25].

Sectoral
training quality standards, supported by quality assurance mechanisms and
accreditation systems in Vocational Education and Training (VET), should be
developed to to better align VET provision to labour market needs. The
certification of green skills acquired informally, supported by flexible training leading to qualifications, can also support
transitions for workers affected by restructuring. Governance
mechanisms for VET make better use of skills forecasts. Sectoral social
partners should be better involved in the design and review of training
programmes, qualifications and accreditation systems.
3.1.2    Better
forecasting skills needs
As structural changes in the
economy will lead to new skill requirements and emerging occupations, it is
necessary to better assess job
and skill developments with a view to facilitating the
transition towards the green economy. Classification
systems such as 'European classification of Skills, Competences, Qualifications
and Occupations' (ESCO) can be used to identify skills gaps. The EU Skills
Panorama, launched by the Commission in 2012, provides an overview of European,
national and sectoral findings on the short to medium-term prospects for jobs
and skills needs. 
Public employment services (PES)
provide valuable information about skills requirements on the labour market. In
some Member States, PES have developed tools to monitor demand for green
skills in various sectors of the economy, including in green sectors[26]. In
this context, the challenge is to use existing data to change or adapt the
training offer, availability, and format, as
well as
training paths.
It is therefore vital to develop
strategies on information gathering, focusing on projected recruitments needs
and identification of skills required. Close
collaboration between government, industry, social partners and research is
essential in this regard. The Commission has been promoting the Sectoral Skills Councils and Sector Skills Alliances, notably the in
automotive, construction and chemicals sectors. 
As
noted in the Commission Green Action Plan for SMEs[27], workforce
development is a particular challenge for SMEs as they have fewer
resources available to respond to transformation needs. Therefore, SMEs should
receive support and guidance to better anticipate skills needs and bridge green
skills gaps. Tools, such as distance learning schemes, consultancy
and advisory services, should be developed to help SMEs become more energy and
resource efficient and to facilitate uptake of environmental management
standards[28].

To help bridge existing skills gaps, the
Commission will:
- work with stakeholders at
sectoral level (notably the Sector Skills
Councils
and Sector Skills Alliances) to encourage the development of green
skills
intelligence, and strengthen
links with ESCO and the EU Skills Panorama;
- promote exchange
of good
practice on
skills-based strategies under the Mutual Learning Programme
of the
European Employment Strategy and in cooperation with Cedefop;
- promote exchange of good
practice among the European PES Network on using labour market
intelligence and forecasts and on fostering partnerships
with all
relevant stakeholders
with
a view to better anticipating companies' needs for green
skills;
- cooperate with the InnoEnergy and Climate
Knowledge and Innovation Communities of the European Institute of
Innovation and Technology to deliver innovative sustainable energy  and climate-focused
education models at graduate and post-graduate levels and further develop its
new business creation instruments to foster climate-related entrepreneurship;
- promote best practices within the
European Network for Rural Development and the European Innovation Partnership
(EIP) network for agricultural productivity and sustainability, under the Common
Agricultural Policy.
Member States are
invited to review and update qualifications and corresponding education and
training curricula so as to respond to new market demands.
3.2       Anticipating change, securing transitions and promoting
mobility
Transformation processes, in
particular from declining to emerging activities, require timely anticipation
and management. Restructuring should be handled in a socially responsible way,
in particular to preserve human capital (3.2.1); labour market institutions
must contribute to easing and securing transitions (3.2.2); and occupational
and geographical mobility should be further enhanced (3.2.3).
3.2.1    Anticipating change and managing
restructuring 
The
EU has a comprehensive legal framework for regulating the way in which social
dialogue should address anticipation of change and restructuring. In addition, the EU
Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring[29] (QFR)
contains
certain principles and good practices of anticipation of change and management
of restructuring; as
such it is also relevant for the successful management of the green transition
from a socio-economic perspective. Timely
anticipation of change and of skills needs contributes to companies'
competitiveness, and workers' employability. Anticipating
change should include continuous up-skilling programmes for workers on the job.
Work-based learning can also support green innovation, in particular when
supported by adequate validation systems. 
It is
essential to develop specific guidance for sectors where significant increase,
decrease or transformation of employment
is expected. Some sectoral initiatives (such as CARS 2020, Construction 2020)
have been developed to support energy and resource efficiency goals, while taking employment and
skills aspects into account.
In order to ensure that the green
transition leads to better jobs, the health and safety aspects also need to be
considered, in particular emerging risk linked to the development of green
technologies. While more sustainable technologies, products and processes are
likely to decrease the risk of harmful exposure for workers, potential new
hazards need to be carefully assessed and integrated in prevention strategies
to anticipate, identify, evaluate and control emerging hazards and risks[30]. 
3.2.2    Adapting labour market institutions in order to ease and
secure transitions
PES
are increasingly involved in green employment strategies and programmes[31].
They bring together employers and training institutions in local or regional
programmes targeting unemployed people and vulnerable groups, and develop
incentives to promote geographical and occupational mobility by establishing
skills certification and transferability systems and databases on employers’
needs. 
PES
also play an increasing role by
providing career guidance and counselling services, as well as qualifications
plans and validation of non-formal and informal learning. 
3.2.3    Promoting mobility 
Promoting workers' mobility,
both between regions and between Member States, can go some way towards meeting
immediate labour market demands. While some sectors,
such as construction, have
above average mobility, others, such as utilities (water supply, sewerage and electricity)
do not.
The Commission facilitates intra-EU mobility through EURES, the
European Jobs Network. It will also promote targeted mobility schemes to help fill
bottleneck and niche vacancies in sectors and occupations, notably in the green
economy[32].
Enhancing mobility will also require investment in competence-based
matching at EU level through ESCO and working further towards
the European Area of Skills and Qualifications. In addition, occupational
profiles should be continuously updated to take account of the skills needs of
the greening economy.
With a view to
anticipating change, securing transitions and promoting mobility, the
Commission will:
- build
on lessons
learned
from
the ongoing sectoral initiatives on anticipation and managing
restructuring and assess the possibility of of
extending them to other sectors with greening potential;
- work
with PES
in the context of the European PES network to
support occupational mobility to meet specific labour market needs, notably
occupations requiring green skills;
- support, in
the framework
of the
European Employment Strategy, mutual learning and peer reviews
on
adequate
labour market policies; 
- make use of
the Targeted Labour Mobility schemes under the Programme for
Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) to promote
labour
mobility for jobseekers;
- through ESCO, support
competence-based job matching and analysis of trends in green skills demand and
supply based on the pool of job vacancies and CVs available in EURES. 
Member States
and social partners are invited to promote wide
use of
the European Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring in relation
of the greening of the economy.
3.3.      Supporting
job creation
EU funding should be used to
support the green
transition
(3.3.1). In
addition, shifting
taxation away from the labour towards environment taxation (3.3.2), green
procurement (3.3.3) and green entrepreneurship (3.3.4) are equally important
areas to support green job creation.
3.3.1    Making
efficient use of EU funding
European
Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are key sources of investment to promote sustainable growth and job creation. The key EU financial
instruments to support skills
provision, job creation and transitions in the greening of the economy include:

-       
The European Social Fund
(ESF) co-finances labour market activation measures, measures to smooth the
transition into work and the upgrading of knowledge and skills. The ESF can support labour force transitions towards greener jobs, help address skills shortages and improve VET systems (including through the
adaptation of curricula).
-       
The European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF) supports investments in energy and resource efficiency,
renewable energy, waste and water
management, green infrastructure, biodiversity conservation and protection,
eco-innovation, education infrastructure and research, development and
innovation in low-carbon technologies. Regions will
have to invest a minimum share of ERDF resources in measures related to a
low-carbon economy (20% for more developed regions, 15 % for transition regions
and 12 % for less developed regions). 
-       
The European Agricultural Fund for Rural
Development (EAFRD) supports investments in
agriculture, forestry, the environment, rural business and infrastructure
including investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, resource
management (water, waste, land, etc.), and innovation. Member States will have to invest a minimum share of 30% of the
total contribution from the EAFRD on climate change mitigation and
environmental issues.
-       
The programme for the 'Competitiveness of
Enterprises and SMEs' (COSME) and 'Horizon 2020' aim to contribute to economic
growth and employment by supporting projects dealing with innovation, including
renewable energies, energy efficiency ecosystem restoration and re-naturing
cities. 
-       
The LIFE programme supports a number of targeted innovative environmental and climate-related
projects with an impact on jobs and skills, including through the Natural
Capital Financing Facility and the Private Finance for Energy Efficiency
instruments.
The
Commission encourages and supports the setting-up and implementation of financial
instruments co-financed by the European Structural and Investment Funds through
the Financial Instruments – Technical Advisory Platform (FI-TAP) and other
joint instruments with the EIB Group. These instruments can leverage additional
private investment in the greening of the economy and can help realise the
related jobs potential.
Synergies
between programmes at national and at EU levels should be further developed.
3.3.2    Shifting
taxes from labour to environmental taxation
A tax shift
away from labour towards taxation less detrimental to growth such as
consumption, property and environmental taxation (and removal of harmful
subsidies) can result in both higher employment and lower emissions and
pollution. This effect will be most visible in Member States with a high tax
wedge. One third of the Member States have space for such a tax shift while
another third have scope to improve the design of existing
environmentally-related taxation[33].

Such reforms
should consider the employment effects of targeted
labour cost reductions, such as for low-skilled workers, in comparison to overall
cuts, as well as the distributional impact of the shift to green taxes. A
number of Member States have received country-specific recommendations in this
field under the European Semester. In addition, Member States could use some of
the auctioning revenues from emission allowances under the EU ETS to lower
labour costs, which can have an overall positive impact on employment. 
3.3.3    Enhancing
administrative capacity and promoting green public procurement

Several Member
States have gaps in their administrative capacity to design more integrated
solutions addressing economic, social and environmental challenges and taking
into account broader costs and benefits to society. In particular, public
procurement can be used to promote growth in the green economy. The new EU
public procurement Directives facilitate the use of labels, explicitly allow
for taking into account the production process and introduce a life-cycle
costing concept. These have the potential to increase the uptake of green
public procurement and could thus foster green growth and jobs.
3.3.4    Promoting
entrepreneurship
Access to
finance is a problem for any start-up and those active in the green economy are
no exception. The Commission, together with the European
Investment Bank, established a Natural Capital Financing Facility to support, amongst other things,
natural capital-related projects and small and innovative pro-biodiversity
and climate adaptation enterprises. The recent rise in microfinance activities in Europe has led to more than 30% of microcredit
providers providing green
microcredits and an additional 10%
currently developing such credits[34].
The social economy and social enterprises have a significant
potential for providing high quality employment in areas
such as energy efficiency
and renewable energies,
organic farming and ecotourism, or the circular economy with activities related to reuse,
repair or recycling. The
identification of effective up-scaling strategies for green social enterprises and
raising awareness about
opportunities could inspire others
to be entrepreneurs.
According to
recent estimates, 42% of SMEs have at least one full or part-time green
employee – a 5% increase since in 2012 – amounting to more than 20 million jobs across the EU.
The Green action plan for SMEs includes actions to
support green entrepreneurship for innovative and circular business models in the
companies of the future.
In
order to boost job creation , the
Commission will:
- support the
development of methodologies for skills and employment impact assessments
of investments, in particular through technical assistance, exchange of best
practice, pilot projects, and awareness raising actions in 2014 and 2015;
- continue to
follow
up
environmental tax reform in
the Member States in the framework of the
European Semester;
- support
capacity building in the area of Green Public Procurement through
guidance on how to make best use of it under the recently adopted public
procurement reform and facilitate the creation of networks of public
authorities on Green Public Procurement;
- facilitate
access to finance for social enterprises, including those
active in the green economy, and to green microfinance under the EaSI Programme;
- encourage European-level organisations
to promote the exchange of experience between microfinance providers in
the area of green microfinance;
- strengthen targeted
support under
the Green Action Plan for SMEs through EU-level funding and SME support
networks (e.g. the Enterprise Europe Network), notably to upgrade the
green skills of their workforce.
Member States and regions are
invited to reinforce the employment and skills dimension of their financial
support programmes for green investments and technologies, and
to
help
green
social enterprises get "ready to scale" and
"ready to replicate and adapt". Member States
are also invited to ensure efficient use of ESIF resources to facilitate the
green transition in line with the 20% target on climate-related measures.
3.4.      Increasing
data quality
Green economy, green growth and green jobs have been
subject to various definitions supported
by diverse of
statistical data[35]. The regular
collection of harmonised statistics would
facilitate more evidence-based policy making and monitoring, as well as better anticipation of transitional effects on the labour market
and identification of skills needs. 
The
Commission, together with the Member States, has been developing indicators to monitor progress towards green
growth in the context of the European Semester[36].
Moreover, data on EGSS are collected at EU level to provide
harmonised European information on employment related activities with
environmental purposes[37]. In addition, an econometrical model
(FIDELIO)[38]
is being developed by the Commission to assess the economic, environmental and
employment impacts of environmental and other policies.
At international
level, "guidelines concerning a
statistical definition of employment in the environmental sector" were adopted at the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians to help countries develop statistical standards and methods for green jobs,
the green economy and employment in the environmental sector and improve
international comparability[39].
In order to increase data quality, the Commission will:
- provide support to national statistical
offices for data collection and development of environmental accounting in the
European Statistical System through existing financial
and training support;
- reinforce the use of quantitative
modelling tools allowing for a more detailed analysis of the labour market
impacts at EU, Member State and regional levels;
- building on the framework of employment
and environment indicators developed by the Employment Committee, support
monitoring of policies in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy. 
Member States are invited
to minimise transitional periods in implementing the module for EGSS accounts
and time needed for transmission of data.
4.         Promoting
social dialogue
The involvement of
social partners at all levels is a pre-requisite to facilitate the
greening of the economy. 
Through joint or
separate initiatives, social partners at EU level have already contributed to
the EU debate on the greening of the jobs by focusing on the principle of a
just transition, on the synergies between the 2030 climate and energy package
and the EU industrial policy, and on skills needs for green jobs[40].
Since the transition to the green and resource efficient economy has a strong
impact at sectoral level, social partners have a direct interest in being
involved through their work in the EU sectoral social dialogue committees.
The Commission will encourage
European social partners to develop further joint initiatives in the
context of the European social dialogue, at
both cross-industry and sectoral levels, and to take
into account the EREP recommendations in order to further ensure close workers’
involvement in matters related to environmental management, energy and resource
use and emerging risks at the work place, enhance workers’ rights to
information and consultation, and develop sector-wide resource efficiency
roadmaps.
5.         Strengthening international cooperation
In
line with the conclusions of the Rio +20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development,
the EU is committed to pursuing a just global transition to an inclusive green
economy in collaboration
with other international partners. This requires taking into account the social
dimension of environment and climate change policies and their inter-linkages
in the
context of the Post 2015 Development Framework and the sustainable development
goals. 
The EU cooperates closely with
the ILO on green employment related challenges including: ensuring that green
jobs are decent jobs; application of labour standards, in particular labour
inspection and occupational safety and health in green employment; combatting
informal economy in green sectors, such as waste management; anticipation of
future skills needs and adopting training policies facilitating meeting green
skills demand. 
The
transition towards an inclusive green economy has also been addressed in
bilateral dialogues with the EU's strategic partners such as the US, Canada and China and will continue to be discussed, also with other partner countries, in the
future. In the framework of its development cooperation policy, and through the
range of programmes and instruments it finances, the EU will also encourage
partner countries in adopting the integrated approach for greening their
economies.
The
Commission will engage in the Green Growth
Knowledge Platform, a global network of researchers and development experts
that identifies and addresses major knowledge gaps in green growth theory and
practice, launched in 2012 by the Global Green Growth Institute, OECD, UNEP and
World Bank.
6.         Conclusion
The shift to a green and resource
efficient economy is above all an opportunity to increase European global
competitiveness, to secure the well-being of future generations, and to support
sustainable and high quality employment, while contributing to the recovery
from the recent economic crisis. 
Employment and
labour markets policies at large need to play a more active role in supporting
job creation and in matching labour and skills demands related to the
transition to the green and resource efficient economy. To this end, the
following priorities should be pursued:
-       
Improving
integration and coordination of existing European and national level policies and
initiatives;
-       
Further
developing governance structures and methodological tools to facilitate the
transition towards a green and resource efficient economy, to better coordinate
policies and to ensure consistent monitoring of reform measures; and
establishing a closer working relationship and dialogue with social partners on
the employment challenges for greening the economy;
-       
Further
strengthening the existing Commission skills intelligence tools and networks to
better anticipate and monitor developments in sectors and occupations linked
to green growth, resource efficient and circular economy;

-       
Ensuring
that EU and Member States funding programs and policies
support
the job creation in the green economy;
-       
Monitoring
progress related to green employment in the context of the Joint Employment
Report; 
-       
Working
towards an international playing field in promoting green and inclusive growth;
-       
Building
on the recommendations of EREP to develop a broad strategy for greening jobs,
skills and education.
The Commission invites the Council, the
European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of the Regions to endorse this green employment initiative and
contribute to the further development of actions to achieve an integrated
approach to sustainable growth and jobs in the EU.
[1] COM(2009) 433 final;
see also COM SWD(2013)303 final, Progress on "GDP and beyond"
actions.
[2] See i.a. OECD (2011),
Towards green growth; UNEP (2011), Towards a green economy.
[3] See also COM(2014)
015 final, Communication on a Policy framework for climate and energy in the
period from 2020 to 2030; and COM(2014) 021 final, Communication on the
Energy prices and costs in Europe.
[4] COM(2014)…, Towards
a circular economy: A zero waste programme for Europe.
[5] OECD (2012), The
jobs potential of a shift towards a low carbon economy; OECD (2012), OECD
Employment Outlook 2012, see chapter 4 "What green growth means for
workers and labour market policies: an initial assessment"; ILO (2011), Skills
for green jobs, a global view.
[6] Employment Guideline
7 stresses that Member States should promote job creation in all areas, including
green employment. 
[7] COM(2013) 800 final.
[8] Joint Employment
Report, COM(2013) 801 final. See also EC (2013), Promoting green jobs
throughout the crisis: a handbook of best practices in Europe, EEO Review.
The Handbook identifies national and/or regional strategies or single policy
measures for the promotion of employment in green sectors. 
[9] OJ L 354, 28/12/2013.
[10] http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/documents/erep_manifesto_and_policy_recommendations_31-03-2014.pdf.
[11] Cambridge
Econometrics, GHK and the Warwick Institute for Employment Research (2011), Studies
on sustainability issues — Green jobs; trade and labour (Study undertaken
for DG EMPL.
[12] Eurostat data on the
environmental goods and services sector.
[13] Ecorys, Acteon (2014), Potential for
sustainable growth in the water industry sector in the EU and the marine sector
– Input to the European Semester".
[14] Bio Intelligence
Service (2011), Estimating the economic value of the benefits provided by
the tourism/recreation and employment supported by Natura 2000.
[15] Bio Intelligence
Service (2012), Implementing EU waste legislation for green growth.
[16] Impact Assessment for
2014 Waste Review – Staff Working Document
[17] Bio Intelligence
Service (2012), Implementing EU waste legislation for green growth.
[18] See Cambridge
Econometrics, and al. (2013), Employment effects of selected
scenarios from the Energy roadmap 2050, Final report for the EC (DG
Energy), http://ec.europa.eu/energy/observatory/studies/doc/2013_report_employment_effects_roadmap_2050.pdf
[19] COM, BUILD UP Skills
(2013), Preliminary findings from Member States Roadmaps.
[20] http://www.energies-renouvelables.org/observ-er/stat_baro/barobilan/barobilan13-gb.pdf
[21] See
http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/cap/leakage/index_en.htm
[22] http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---sector/documents/publication/wcms_226385.pdf
[23] See e. g. Ecorys
(2010), Programmes to promote environmental skills.
[24] OECD (2012); ILO (2012);
Cambridge Econometrics, and al. (2011), Studies on
sustainability issues — Green jobs; trade and labour.
[25] CEDEFOP (2012), Green
skills and environmental awareness in vocational education and training.
[26] DG EMPL (2013), PES
to PES Dialogue, Public employment services and green jobs.
[27] COM(2014)… ,Communication
from the Commission on "a Green Action Plan for SMEs". 
[28] e.g. EU Eco-Management and
Audit Scheme (EMAS) or ISO
14001.
[29] COM(2013) 882 final.
[30] COM(2014) 332 final, Communication
on an
EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020; see also European
Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2013), Green jobs and occupational
safety and health. 
[31] DG EMPL (2013), PES
to PES Dialogue, Public employment services and green jobs.
[32] Regulation (EU) No
1296/2013 of 11 December 2013.
[33] EC (2013), Tax reforms in EU
Member States 2013. Tax policy challenges for economic growth and fiscal
sustainability.
[34] European
Microfinance Network (EMN) (2013), European Green Microfinance. A first look.
[35] See Green growth
knowledge platform (GGGI, OECD, UNEP, World Bank) (2013), Moving towards a
common approach on green growth indicators.
[36] See
also Employment Committee (2010), Towards a greener labour market - The
employment dimension of tackling environmental challenges (final report),
identifying indicators in six areas: green jobs, green skills, green
workplaces, green transition, green labour markets and green growth.
[37] Regulation (EU) No
538/2014 of 16 April 2014, amending Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 on European
environmental economic accounts.
[38] FIDELIO 1: Fully
Interregional Dynamic Econometric Long-term Input-Output Model for the EU27 JRC 2013.
[39] http://www.ilo.org/global/statistics-and-databases/standards-and-guidelines/guidelines-adopted-by-international-conferences-of-labour-statisticians/WCMS_230736/lang--en/index.htm.
[40] See for ex. ETUC,
BusinessEurope, CEEP, UEAPME (2014), Skills needs in greening economies.