DISCUSSION PAPER

CONNECTING THE DOTS: INTEGRATING GREEN

JOBS INTO CLIMATE DIPLOMACY
BY MICHAEL RENNER, WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE, FEBRUARY 2015

The concepts of climate security and green jobs remain effectively disconnected from each other. But there is good reason to connect the dots. This
brief discusses why and how, supported by good practice examples, and identifies opportunities for an integrated approach to climate diplomacy.
Introduction and Background
The concepts of climate security and green jobs emerged during the last two decades, propelled by
different sets of concerns, and shaped by distinct research and policy communities.
One concept, climate security (and its more recent variant, climate diplomacy), is driven by worries that
climate change can translate into social, economic, and political repercussions and undermine human
and national security. Climate-related pressures could reinforce existing problems, lead to political
instability, and perhaps even trigger violent conflicts within or among countries. It is a discourse that
has primarily taken place among analysts and practitioners of security and foreign policy.
The other concept, green jobs, results from concerns about climate impacts on the health of economies, including employment in particular, but it is also informed by worrisome trends such as unemployment and precarious forms of work, which are distressing realities in many countries. The concept
embodies the recognition that environmental and economic policy goals can and need to be pursued in
tandem. This discussion primarily involves analysts and practitioners of economic development, at the
local, regional, and national levels, as well as those who are concerned with social protection and inclusion.
The two concepts and the respective policy communities remain effectively disconnected from
each other. But there is good reason to connect the dots.
Doing so helps to move the discussion from more traditional notions of climate-driven threats to the
more productive question of how best to address common vulnerabilities in ways that can generate
economic opportunities and ensure social protection. This is in line with the admonition by Gemenne
(2014) that researchers need to better understand not only what causes competition and conflict, but
also peace and cooperation. Minimizing negative repercussions from climate change, supporting genuinely sustainable development, and boosting resilience can help create jobs and support livelihoods.

Supported by

This combination therefore has the potential for a triple payoff: reducing the likelihood of catastrophic
climate disruptions, advancing smart security policy, and avoiding the conditions that feed instability
and conflict.
This discussion brief first provides a basic definition of the two concepts at issue, then discusses the
connections between climate diplomacy and green jobs, before moving on to offering examples and
experiences with relevant green job creation.
Definitions
The concepts of climate security and green jobs have been interpreted in a variety of ways, and it is fair
to say that there is no single, universally accepted definition. This is not just a result of intellectual
divergence, but rather reflects the very real differences in perceptions, needs, and concerns among
various regions, countries, and population groups around the world.

Defining Climate Diplomacy

As a joint report by Adelphi and the German Federal Foreign Office (Adrizola et al., 2013) noted: Geopolitical questions, livelihood and development issues, and a sustainable, green economy can play a
key role [in climate diplomacy], and their relevance as well as their ability to contribute to the solution
vary according to the context.
The Adelphi / Federal Foreign Office report highlights four dimensions of climate diplomacy. Two of
them are of particular relevance to the intersection between climate policy and green jobs, highlighting
both threats and opportunities. Thus, according to Adrizola et al., the policy response to climate
change is:
1.

2.

an opportunity for sustainable growth. A green economic transformation can deliver sustainable prosperity and improved energy and resource security. Investment in environmentally
sound technologies provides a large source of new and stable green jobs whilst reducing the
economic and social costs of pollution. Bilateral and multilateral partnerships can serve as
meaningful instruments for overcoming barriers to trade and investing in low carbon technologies, as well as developing robust carbon pricing mechanisms.
... a threat to livelihood security. Climate change threatens livelihoods through resource degradation and disasters. Many countries fear that it will become increasingly difficult to meet
the basic needs of their populations. Foreign and development policies can support the
strengthening of adaptive capacities through economic diversification, investment in infrastructure and agriculture, and the promotion of integrated water and resource management
and disaster preparedness. (adelphi, 2014)

Measures to create green jobs are a critical element to ward off threats to livelihoods and to act on the
opportunities for building more climate-friendly economies.

Defining Green Jobs

Recognizing that the task of sustainability implies far-ranging changes throughout the global economy,
the 2008 UNEP report Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World offered
an expansive definition of green jobs:
We define green jobs as work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmen-

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tal quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high-efficiency strategies; decarbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution. (UNEP, 2008)
Here, a more climate-focused definition applies, so that issues like waste generation and recycling fall
outside the focus area.
The green jobs concept encompasses both the creation of new jobs and the greening (and thus safeguarding) of existing ones, in the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, and fisheries), in the energy
industry; and in protecting and restoring natural resource assets.
In the energy sector, the criteria for what constitutes a green job are relatively straightforward this
concerns a number of renewable energy technologies quite distinct from the dominant fossil fuels.
Nuclear power is sometimes also presented as a low- or zero-carbon technology, but it has many serious drawbacks, including impacts of uranium mining, high cost, health and safety concerns, and unresolved waste management problems.
For many other sectors of the economy, green jobs are not always unambiguously distinct from less
sustainable ones, and one might therefore, as UNEP (2008) does, speak of shades of green. In each
sector, there is a need to establish clear criteria and benchmarks for what makes jobs green and climate-friendly. The dividing lines are far from static, as technologies and practices (such as energy use
efficiency) change over time.
Connecting Climate Diplomacy and Green Jobs
Climate change will intensify many existing environmental and resource challenges, such as the depletion and scarcity of fresh water, arable land, and forests. Especially where economies are heavily
geared toward agriculture, or are otherwise directly dependent on the health of the natural resource
base, the repercussions from climate change could translate into conflict.

Figure 1. Climate Change Impacts and Green Job Potential

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Figure 1 sketches, in simplified form, how manifestations of climate change can impact livability and
might translate into conflict. Climate policy, including climate diplomacy, needs to address the various
repercussions that may flow from climate disruptions, and identify ways to turn these challenges into
green jobs and livelihood opportunities that can provide both climate and social stability. In the righthand column, the Figure suggests a broad array of mitigative, adaptive, and resilience-building solutions. They range from the promotion of renewable energy to sustainable forms of agriculture and
forestry to restoration, disaster-resistant structures, and economic diversification.
Climate policy needs not only to minimize negative physical impacts on ecosystems and natural resources, but also to address critical social dimensions. In other words, it needs to strengthen resilience by offering viable employment and livelihood perspectives to people and communities. Creating a
climate-compatible economy requires the active involvement and empowerment of millions of skilled
and motivated workers and farmers. There is thus an important (though not always acknowledged)
rights-based dimension.
A green jobs strategy entails two basic dimensions:
A proactive dimension: Jobs and livelihoods that help prevent (or at least minimize) climate
disruption through greenhouse gas mitigation, renewable energy expansion, energy and water
efficiency promotion, etc.
A reactive dimension: Jobs and livelihoods that help avoid (or minimize) loss and damage from
climate disruption through adaptation measures, environmental restoration, and disaster prevention efforts.

Thematic Opportunities: Selected Green Jobs Experiences

In this context, this discussion paper provides a number of examples of successful green job creation
and additional green job potential in three broad areas: energy; agriculture and forestry; and environmental restoration. In addition to renewable energy promotion, it is also important to pursue energy
efficiency opportunities throughout the economy, and this paper briefly discusses green job experiences in the building sector, a major energy user.
Renewable Energy
The last several years have shown the employment potential of low-carbon, renewable energy technologies. As costs have declined and investments have risen, it was estimated in mid-2014 that worldwide
there are some 6.5 million jobs in the renewable energy sector (mostly in bioenergy, solar energy, and
wind power). (IRENA, 2014) This is up from an earlier estimate of 2.3 million in 2006. (UNEP, 2008) The
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA, 2013) projects that by 2030, the number could rise to
16.7 million jobs.
Renewable energy is expanding in more and more countries, and this generates fresh employment
opportunities. The manufacturing of renewable energy equipment is relatively concentrated in a small
number of countries. However, there are significant job opportunities for many countries in other aspects of the renewable energy value chain, including in construction and project development, installations, sales and distribution, and operations and maintenance. This is especially important in many
developing countries where a large share of the population either relies on fossil fuels or has inadequate access to modern and clean forms of energy.

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The experience of Bangladesh indicates the tremendous potential. With the help of micro-credit financing, installations of solar home systems (SHS) have grown rapidly in the last decade, to about 3.3
million units. (See Figure 2.) The monthly installation rate is now more than 80,000 units. Estimates
put the number of SHS sector jobs in Bangladesh at 60,000 or moresome in SHS assembly, but many
in distribution, financing, installations, and maintenance. (Barua, 2014) About 50 Green Technology
Centres have provided technical training and benefited several thousand people, including many women. (Strietska-Ilina et al., 2011; Bimesdoerfer et al., 2011) Domestic factors like vocational training, the
ability to adapt technologies to local needs, and the enforcement of quality standards proved to be important elements in Bangladeshs experience. But climate diplomacy can play a role in replicating
success stories, for example through support for microfinance, as has been done by USAID. (UNDESA,
2011)
4
3
Millionen

3
2
2
1
1
0
2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Figure 2. Cumulative SHS Installations in Bangladesh, 2002-2014

Note: 2014 figure includes installations up to October.
Sources: Adapted from Haque, 2012; Barua, 2014; IDCOL, 2014.

The pursuit of renewable energy helps mitigate carbon emissions, and thus achieves critical goals of
climate policy and helps reduce the likelihood of climate-related conflicts. However, in some cases
renewable energy projects may actually generate conflicts of their own, as has been seen in the case of
certain types of biofuels projects and large-scale hydropower.
Large-scale biofuels monocultures have generally proved controversial, given doubts over their net
carbon balance, concerns about food-versus-fuel tradeoffs, and land grabbing incidents. The experience in Tanzania, for example, suggests that the number of jobs at large-scale plantations is relatively
low. (Gasparatos et al., 2012; Arndt, et al., 2010) Often unskilled and seasonal in nature, plantation
employment may not be adequate compensation for land lost to biofuels plantations (and for the forsaken access to resources that support a range of livelihood activities, including timber, fuelwood, food
products, and medicinal plants). (Mdemu, 2011; Bergius, 2012) Farmer associations may be able to
generate better outcomes, especially if they move into feedstock processing and build local supply
chains. (Matango, 2006; Action Aid Tanzania, 2009)
Climate diplomacy needs to ensure that biofuels development takes place in accord with community
needs and rights; the experience to date suggests that bioenergy development must therefore go beyond simply promoting foreign investment and facilitating land deals for energy projects, and ensure
that such projects are equitable and socially sustainable.

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Large-scale hydropower also has its problematic sides with regard to massive environmental impacts
and population displacements. Small hydro, by contrast, can be an alternative to destructive, and conflict-inducing, large dams.1 Global installed small hydro capacity has roughly doubled in the first decade of this century and may double again by 2020. (Thilak, 2010) China alone has half the worlds current capacity, followed at a large distance by Europe, North America, and South Asia. Besides East
Asia, the largest remaining potential for new facilities is found in South Asia, South America, Western
Asia, Southern Europe, Eastern Africa, and Southeast Asia. (Small Hydropower World, 2014)
Employment estimates for small hydro are difficult to come by. A back-of-the-envelope calculation
based on information from selected countries and on installed capacities suggests the global figure
could be 150,000 jobs or more, and that moving from the current 75 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to the
assumed global potential of 173 GW could add another 200,000 jobs or more. Unlike large hydro facilities (which come with an influx of outside labor), it is likely that small plants provide the social stability
associated with employment opportunities to local communities.
Active community involvement can be a key characteristic especially of micro-hydro projects, such as
those supported by Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood (RERL) a joint program of UNDP and the
World Bank with the Government of Nepal. RERLs main objective is to increase equitable access to
energy, social inclusion, and community mobilization. Some 350,000 people have derived energy access
benefits to date. (IRENA, 2012)
Renewables and Buildings
Buildings are a major energy user, but also offer tremendous potential for integrating renewable energy solutions and improving energy efficiency, and thus reducing carbon emissions. Experience shows
that labor-intensive programs for green housing construction and for retrofitting old buildings could
generate large numbers of jobs (or render existing jobs more sustainable), both in construction and in
manufacturing of energy efficiency materials. Targeted investments in skill-building and upgrading,
especially among small and medium-sized enterprises, are critical for success. (ILC, 2013) This is especially important in the rapidly swelling cities of the developing world.
Social housing programs can be a vehicle for change. In Brazil, Minha Casa Minha Vida (My House My
Life) was launched in 2009. It entails a number of environmental requirements, including the use of
solar water heaters. The ILO expected that nearly 18,000 additional jobs could be created in the solar
installation industry. (Cardoso, 2011; ECLAC and ILO, 2010) Brazils budding solar thermal manufacturing industry employs some 30,000 people (Alencar, 2013), part of a global industry that employs several
hundred thousand people. (IRENA, 2014)
In South Africa, the government initiated a 1 Million Solar Water Heaters Programme in 2008, to be
completed by 2014. The countrys SWH suppliers have expanded 20-fold between 1997 and 2011.
(Eskom, 2011) In Johannesburg, old city-center buildings were refurbished, upgrading some 2,700
homes. Technologies introduced included solar energy systems, energy-efficient light bulbs, better
insulated boilers and water tanks, as well as energy management systems to avoid use at peak-priced
times. The project has provided jobs for over 1,000 contractors. (ILO, 2012)
Agriculture and Forestry
Agriculture is not only one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, but also arguably the sector
most vulnerable to climate change. Alternative farming methods (reducing the reliance on fossil fuels,
pursing integrated soil management, using water more efficiently, etc.) are key for cutting agricultures
1

It should be noted that there is no uniformly-accepted threshold for what constitutes large and small hydro. Many NGOs regard
a capacity of 10 megawatts as the proper dividing line, but some governments draw the line at 50 MW.

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impacts and reducing the climate vulnerability of the worlds more than 1 billion farmers especially
smallholders in developing countries.
Employment information for greener farming is relatively sparse, but the potential is huge. Studies in
India and the United Kingdom indicate that in many cases low-impact agriculture employs more people
than conventional agriculture (although details depend on the type of farm and crops cultivated). Green
farming enhances natural assets, reduces the risk of crop failure due to pests, disease and droughts,
and therefore reduces vulnerability. (ILO, 2012; UNEP, 2008) These are important characteristics in a
climate-stressed world and can help stabilize rural areas.
Modeling by the Millennium Institute (Herren et al., 2011) found that the transition to sustainable agriculture could create over 200 million full-time jobs worldwide across the entire food production system
by 2050. The study included employment in farming, management and preservation of ecosystems,
research and development, and training of rural populations in the use of green farming techniques.
Even though low-carbon practices still occupy only a niche in global agriculture, experiences in a number of countries indicate the potential and the importance of combining social, economic, and environmental considerations. In 2010, Brazils Ministry of Agriculture created a program called ABC (Agricultura de Baixo Carbono) to reduce carbon emissions by about 30% by 2020. It grants incentives, technical advice and other resources to some 900,000 farmers to help them adopt sustainable techniques.
(ILO, 2012)
In Uganda, agriculture provides livelihoods for about 4.5 million smallholder farmers. The country
started a process of converting toward organic, low-carbon agriculture in 1994 and by 2003 had Africas largest organically-farmed land area. As of 2011, close to 188,000 farmers were organic-certified,
and their incomes had improved because they were able to charge higher prices. (ILC, 2013)
Co-operatives have played an important role in Uganda and elsewhere, empowering rural communities
in efforts to green agricultural practices, and improving their access to knowledge, inputs, and finance,
as well as providing fair market access. (ILO, 2012) This has been the experience of the Oromia Coffee
Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU) in Ethiopia, which is benefitting more than 200,000 organic producers. In Costa Rica and India, cooperatives have also become leaders in the production of carbonneutral coffee. (ILC, 2013) In Ghana, the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Unions objectives are to empower
small-scale cocoa producers, enhance female participation in the decision-making process, and encourage environmentally sustainable production. From just 200 members in 1993, Kuapa Kokoo grew
to represent about 65,000 farmers by 2012, of which more than a quarter were women. (Fairtrade
Foundation, 2010; Modern Ghana, 2012)
To enhance the resilience of agriculture in the face of climate change will require, among other things,
more drought-resistant crops. The choice of crops in a given region and their degree of laborintensity will determine the effects on employment and livelihoods.
Another important aspect of a more climate-friendly agriculture is boosting the efficiency of water use
through more efficient irrigation systems (such as drip irrigation) and other methods. For example, the
so-called system of rice intensification requires 2550% less water than is needed for conventional
rice paddies because fields are not flooded throughout the entire production cycle. It can increase
yields by at least 50%, and by substantially reducing or eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers, it
reduces farmer costs. The technology has spread to more than 20 countries, including parts of China,
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. (Thakkar, 2005; Committee on Foreign Relations, 2011) The labor requirements, relative to conventional methods, need closer study.

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Agroforestry the process of planting integrated tree systems on agricultural land in order to diversify
and increase the productivity of the land offers a multitude of environmental benefits, including watershed protection, enhanced biodiversity, and improved soil quality. Many large agroforestry projects
have been developed in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Sustainable forest management combining sustainable harvesting methods with effective regeneration preserves the productive capacity of forests and can sequester and store large amounts of carbon. ILO (2012) offers a rough estimate of more than 2 million current green forestry jobs, equivalent to
about 16% of all formal-sector forestry jobs. Most are in Europe and North America. Especially in Asia,
there is a strong need for different practices. Community forestry practices in Nepal (in which one third
of the population participates, and which combines conservation with livelihood improvement) provide
an alternative model. (Ojha et al., 2009) Some studies (Nair and Rutt, 2009) conclude that several millions of additional jobs worldwide could be created in sustainable forestry with proper sustained investment, especially in afforestation, reforestation, and desertification control.
Environmental Restoration
A number of large-scale public works programs have been initiated in countries like India, South Africa, and Ethiopia, drawing close links among conservation and restoration of critical natural resources,
employment, and social protection and stability. (ILC, 2013) Both the successes and failures of such
programs provide important lessons.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in India combines investment in rehabilitating natural resources with poverty reduction efforts. MGNREGA offers at least
100 days of guaranteed wage employment per year to every rural household in soil and water conservation, reforestation, drought-proofing, flood protection, and small-scale irrigation. (ILO, 2012) In
2012/13, the program provided work to 50 million rural households at a cost of $8.9 billion, up from 21
million beneficiary households in 2006/07. However, implementation has been uneven, depending on
local capacity and commitment. (ESID, 2013) Critics note that one of MGNREGAs most important provisions community-driven planning and prioritization of local needs has not been pursued seriously, and many water conservation structures have not been completed. (Mahapatra et al., 2011) Also,
the emphasis on creating as many unskilled positions as possible means that MGNREGA is not contributing to skill-building. (MGNREGA, undated)
In South Africa, the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) entails a number of environmental
programs, which were intended to provide work opportunities for 200,000 people, primarily marginalized women and youth. (ETU, undated) These efforts are known as Working for programs. By 2012,
they generated close to 24,000 FTE jobs, a number projected to rise to more than 230,000 by 2025.
(Preston, 2014) For instance, Working for Water is meant to improve water management through
removal of invasive forms of vegetation, and has so far provided jobs and training to about 20,000 people per year. (Department of Environmental Affairs, 2014) Working for Wetlands has rehabilitated 906
wetlands with an area of more than 70,000 hectares, providing 12,848 employment opportunities and
168,400 days of skills training as of 2013. (Working for Wetlands, 2013)
Finally, in Ethiopia, the 2005 Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) is aimed at enabling the rural
poor to become more resilient in the face of food insecurity. Members of PSNP households participate
in activities like rehabilitating land and water resources and developing community infrastructure. In
2012, PSNP had 7.64 million participants. (WFP, 2012) The program provides transfers over multiple
years in the form of food or cash (or a combination of both). (ILC, 2013) Assessments also indicate that

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PSNP has provided participating families with improved food security, increased asset creation and
protection, better educational and health services, and improved agricultural productivity. (WFP, 2012)
Environmental restoration will also require measures that, at least for some time, halt the exploitation
of over-stressed natural resources such as forests and fisheries. Experiences in countries like Brazil,
China, and Norway indicate ways in which the social pain of such measures can be minimized, thus
building support for policies which otherwise might draw strong opposition. This can be instructive with
regard to policies undertaken in the name of climate protection.
When China imposed a ban on logging on 73 million hectares of natural forests (equivalent to 69 per
cent of the countrys total natural forest area), almost 1 million workers lost their jobs. Some 90% of
them received help through income replacement, re-employment, training, and other assistance. Afforestation, forest protection, rural infrastructure and public construction projects played an important
role in providing new livelihoods. (ILC, 2013)
Brazils Bolsa Verde program compensates poor families that are affected by policies to reduce deforestation. The program provides cash transfers of US$120 every three months, during a 2-year period, conditioned on families commitments to maintain forest cover and engage in sustainable production activities. It is part of a broader strategy for poverty eradication, supplementing the national Fome
Zero (Zero Hunger) and Bolsa Famlia (Family Allowance) programs which provide income support to
poor households. From 3,286 in late 2011, the number of families included in Bolsa Verde rose to
69,126 by late 2014. Priority is given to women, who represent 88 percent of beneficiaries. (Muchagata,
2014) There are plans to extend the coverage to 300,000 families and to encompass a broader range of
measures, such as clean energy use. (Government of Brazil, undated)
In the fisheries sector, as many as 45 million jobs worldwide are at risk from overfishing. Norway set
up a special program to deal with the cod crisis of 1989-90, when drastic cuts to the allowable fish
catch were made so as to allow the fisheries to recover. This included temporary payments to fishers,
retraining assistance, and investments in aquaculture and fish processing to create new employment
opportunities. (Hersoug, 2006)
In Brazil, artisanal fishers are entitled to unemployment insurance during a closed period, during
which fishing activity is prohibited to allow fish to reproduce. Compensation is paid equivalent to a
monthly minimum wage. In 2010, the Brazilian government paid about $400 million in unemployment
insurance to 437,400 fishers. (ILC, 2013)

Implications and Recommendations for Climate Diplomacy

Traditional foreign policy-making needs to be increasingly infused with climate diplomacy. Climate
diplomacy, such as it has been practiced to date, has centered on the negotiations process in the context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Given climate security concerns, discussions have also taken place in other venues such as the UN Security Council, and there have been increasingly active regional-level efforts, as detailed by Adrizola et al. (2013). Equally important are
initiatives to share climate-related innovations, and to support efforts to identify, replicate and scale-up
best practices and experiences from across the world.
In particular, climate diplomacy needs to integrate the emerging lessons from the green jobs debate.
While alternative technologies and practices are important, the way in which they impact jobs and livelihoods is critical. People and their communities need to have a solid stake in the transformation to a

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climate-friendly economy. This entails having an active voice in decision-making processes (a rightsbased approach), being assured of tangible social and economic benefits flowing from a pro-active
climate policy, and being secure in the knowledge that disruptive socio-economic consequences of
climate policy will be minimized to the extent possible.
A climate diplomacy that integrates a green jobs strategy can help create a favorable framework.
Functionally, one might distinguish various types of activity, such as advisory services; programmatic
efforts; financial support; and coordination in the context of bilateral and multilateral partnerships. The
following offers a number of policy recommendations for European governments, along with examples
of current initiatives:
Promote cooperative green technology development and provision of technical expertise,
especially in regions that are left behind by market dynamics. For example, the European Commission and EU member states support the Climate Technology Centre and Network, which was
established in 2013 and provides technical assistance to developing countries interested in the
transfer of climate-related technologies. (CTCN, undated).
Support local green business incubation. For instance, a network of Climate Innovation Centers has been set up by the World Banks infoDev Climate Technology Program (with donor
country support), with the intent to help countries benefit from more pro-active participation in
the ongoing global clean technology revolution, leading to economic gain and job creation, while
reducing emissions. Centers have been launched in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, the Caribbean, Vietnam, and India. (infoDev, undated)
Facilitate the creation of local or national climate innovation clusters. Clusters bundle local
or regional expertise, stimulate information sharing and the cross-pollination of ideas, and help
mobilise a regions innovative potential. These might draw on the experience of existing renewable energy clusters, such as Frances Industrie et Agro Ressources in Champagne-Ardennes /
Picardie, the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster Agency in Germany, or ClusterGEO (Cluster
on Geothermal and Renewable Energies) in Michoacn, Mexico. (IRENA, 2013)
Organize thematic workshops and consultations with international participation. Beyond
cooperation that focuses purely on technical dimensions, climate diplomacy should also more
broadly facilitate the sharing and replicating of best practices and lessons learned internationally (including policy advice on suitable policy frameworks). This might be done in the context of already active regional-level efforts, as detailed by adelphi (2014).
Assist green jobs skill-building efforts in countries where technical and/or business skills are
lagging. This could entail individual programs and workshops or more institutional efforts. An
institutional example is the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC),
which is to deliver specialized training mostly for wind and solar jobs. SARETEC is being set up
with support from Germanys GIZ. (SARETEC, undated)
Offer support for UN and other international agencies active in the promotion of green
jobs. This could be done either in conjunction with individual agencies such as ILO, UNEP,
UNDP, FAO, UNIDO, and IRENA, or via collaborative efforts such as the newly-launched PAGE
(Partnership for Action on Green Economy). Under PAGE, four UN agencies (UNEP, UNIDO, UNITAR, and ILO) join to provide services and advice in 30 countries with regard to building green
economy strategies and generating green jobs and skills. (UNEP, et al., 2014)

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Boost financing for promising green jobs programs and similar initiatives (including microcredit programs like that in support of Bangladeshs SHS installation, or public works initiatives
such as EPWP or PSPN). An example of an EU-initiated effort is the Global Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF), which seeks to mobilise private investment in small-scale
projects in developing countries and economies in transition.
There is an increasingly mature market for climate-friendly technologies. However, market development alone is not sufficient in many areas where poor and vulnerable populations live. It is important to
support the development of viable small and medium-sized enterprises, microcredit-financed efforts,
as well as cooperatives and other community-led projects, which can form the backbone for viable
local value chains and provide a strong local anchor for sustainable livelihoods.
A climate diplomacy that includes a strong green jobs component will need cross-cutting support on
the national and international governmental levels, engaging the expertise and policy competencies of
agencies and ministries from the fields of foreign, environmental, economic, technology development,
and development cooperation policy.
Climate negotiations have floundered because needed emissions cuts are typically seen as imposing
economic pain. A green jobs focus, on the other hand, emphasizes economic benefits, and can generate win-win outcomes. Policies that aim to maximize such gains for all concerned can be an important
ingredient in achieving the envisaged climate agreement in 2015.

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Network),

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