Green Jobs for Sustainable Development. a Case Study of Spain
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GREEN JOBS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT A case study of Spain The green economy offers enormous opportunities for job creation, many of which are already underway in the Spanish economy. These opportunities range from the sectors traditionally associated with an environmental content, such as renewable energies or recycling, and to other activities that represent emergent sectors in green jobs, such as sustainable mobility and activities in “traditional sectors” with potential for conversion into sustainable activities, such as production of cement, steel or paper. This study aims to compile and analyze the data on green job creation generated by different GREEN institutions in recent years. This includes both current employment data and also studies of trends for some sectors. This study has been undertaken in an especially delicate moment for the Spanish economy, and this fact is reflected in the paradoxical nature of some of its con- clusions. While the green sectors show good results in recent years, the impact of the current economic crisis and the modification of policies can considerably reduce the options of this growth tendency. JOBS In Spain, the severity of the recession and the current austerity measures make it difficult to judge the future effect of general contracting in the sectors of the green economy. Neverthe- FOR SUSTAINABLE less, some recent studies in Europe have demonstrated that these sectors have weathered the recession better than others by retaining more employment, and hence they would be parti- cularly well situated for a future scenario of investment intended for the recovery of European economies. DEVELOPMENT A case study of Spain E C E C ner on ner on s s g stry tr s g stry tr s u u t u u t y c y c d t d t In ion en In ion en Wa ptation Wa ptation S Water Ada S Water Ada ste Ma k ue ste Ma k ue ill W ill W s g rnm s g rnm n or e n or e a k v a k v ge e ge e m rs o m rs o ent n G yers ent n G yers o plo o plo En ti Em En ti Em er a er a g igr nt g igr nt g y g y ge M ge M n nomy n nomy i Agricu i Agricu l n l n Ef ocialD ialo o Ef ocialD ialo o ficien c a ficien c a c c c c y y S y y S T h T h r c r c ansport E ansport E C C e e R G R G a e a e tion end tion end en en G l rk G l rk r tur o r tur o er re er re r e imat W r e imat W e e l e e l t at G nt at G n W n C ce W n C ce E e De E e De n ation n ation trepre Mitig trepre Mitig Ge Ge neu neu nd ge nd ge rs e Chan rs e Chan h G imat h G imat er ip inableD evelopme Cl er ip inableD evelopme Cl reen Jobs reen Jobs En a En a ro e gr a mm ergy ergy ro e gr a mm S ment Creation S ment Creation oc y oc y P ial ust o ial P ust o P l P l rotectio S k rotectio S k nt n mp nt n mp E E bs Wor bs Wor Yo me Yo me u at u at th lop & Rights th lop & Rights o s o s eve Decent Work eve Decent Work J Enterprise D ndard Enterprise D J ndard Sta Sta re e n re e n G G Green jobs for SustainableA case Developmentstudy of Spain s t ation Con en pt stru da ction A rnm e ers v y nomy stry o W plo o u or G k ke c r d rs Em En E o er n gy I ter W a nt en t W n re e ue n c o G G g end ti er De S a kills gr e i g n M a Ener h gy C Agricul e Waste Management n o imat ati Cl ca Dialo ocial tu itig S r e e M k g n ment Creation a y h g Wor C n lo t i G l e reen Jobs c a p y inable Developme m ec R E imat l C Rights tion G ansporta re & y Tr en e m m a r g o r Decent Work c r Entrepreneurship s ficien e Ef P at rd Susta W s b o nda Ge n J nd ta er ctio S ote n Social Pr rgy t ne n E e e r me op G l ve Youth De e ris rp te En Produced by: Sustainlabour in collaboration with Fundación Biodiversidad Published by: Paralelo Edición, S.A. Legal deposit: M-27253-2012 Printed in recycled paper Summary Executive summary............................................................................................................................ 7 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 15 2. The labour dimension of sustainability policies and programs in Spain .......................................... 17 3. The green economy in figures ........................................................................................................ 19 4. Sectoral Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 25 4.1. Renewable energies................................................................................................................... 25 4.2.Transport.................................................................................................................................. 35 4.3. Basic industry .......................................................................................................................... 44 4.4. Construction............................................................................................................................ 54 4.5. Managing, treating and recycling waste ..................................................................................... 61 5. Final comments ............................................................................................................................. 71 Annex 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 73 Acknowledgements his report is part of the project “Green Jobs in a Sustainlabour wishes to thank Jesús Pérez, María 5 TGreen Economy. The case of Spain”, in Begoña Tomé, Sara López, Manel Ferri of the collaboration with Fundación Biodiversidad and co- Union Institute of Work, Environment and Health financed by Sustainlabour. (ISTAS) as well as Carlos Martínez Camarero and The report is the result of the collaboration Llorenç Serrano of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), between Sustainlabour and the Green Jobs Isabel Navarro (UGT), in addition to Laura Martín Programme of the ILO. This Programme is part of and Ana Belén Sánchez of Sustainlabour and the ILO’s project to construct a global knowledge Joaquín Nieto of the International Labour base on better practices in policies whose aim is to Organization (ILO) for their excellent comments. create green jobs. Likewise, recognition goes out to the contribution The report was produced entirely by of Reyes Montiel and gratitude in the same way to Sustainlabour, with the technical contribution of the Judith Carreras and Julianna Angelova of of the ILO's Green Jobs Programme through the lead Sustainlabour for their effort and work, without author of the report, Ana Lucía Iturriza. The ILO which the publication of this report would have also provided comments to the final report. been impossible. Executive Summary he green economy offers enormous opportunities At present, the discussion on the re-launching of Tfor job creation, many of which are already the economy is especially relevant in Spain. The underway in the Spanish economy. These sectors of the green economy for Spain are a good opportunities range from the sectors traditionally opportunity to increase competitiveness, promote the associated with an environmental content, such as creation of quality employment and reduce the renewable energies or recycling, and to other economy’s environmental impact. Due to the severity activities that represent emerging sectors in green of the employment crisis in this country, priority jobs, such as sustainable mobility and activities in must be given to sectors such as these that help “traditional sectors” with potential for conversion generate a sustainable productive fabric with high job into sustainable activities, such as production of creation. cement, steel or paper. The measures adopted in recent years for This study aims to compile and analyze the data on promoting a more sustainable economy in Spain have green job creation generated by different institutions in born their fruits. The most recent studies indicate recent years. This includes both current employment that there are between 400,000 and 500,000 green data and also studies of trends for some sectors. This jobs in Spain, equivalent to 2.2% of the country’s study has been undertaken in an especially delicate total employment. Moreover, the green economy’s moment for the Spanish economy, and this fact is contribution to the Spanish national product is reflected in the paradoxical nature of some of its estimated at 25 billion Euros per year, or 2.4% of the conclusions. While the green sectors show good results total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market in recent years, the impact of the current economic prices (Escuela de Organización Industrial –EOI–, crisis and the modification of policies can considerably 2010). reduce the options of this growth tendency. This is a very considerable evolution, since jobs In Spain, the severity of the recession and the have passed from 158,500 green jobs 1998 to nearly current austerity measures make it difficult to judge 531,000 in 2009, a change that represents an increase the future effect of general contracting in the sectors of 235%. In terms of the weight of green jobs in total of the green economy. Nevertheless, some recent employment in the country, the change is also studies in Europe have demonstrated that these considerable. Considering the comparable sectors have weathered the recession better than information from 1998 and 2009 alone, we may others by retaining more employment, and hence assert that green employment has grown from 1.12% they would be particularly well situated for a future of total employment in 1998 to 2.81% at present.