Study on Green Employment in China Institute for Labor Studies Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security ILO Office for China and Mongolia March 2010 Contents Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................................................................3 Chapter 1. Background .....................................................................................................................................................7 1.1 International context ............................................................................................................................................7 1.2 National context ...................................................................................................................................................7 1.3 Current research ...................................................................................................................................................8 1.3.1. Research on the green economy ..............................................................................................................8 1.3.2. Relevant research abroad .........................................................................................................................9 1.3.3. Relevant research at home .......................................................................................................................9 1.4 Objectives and framework ...................................................................................................................................9 Chapter 2. Defi nition of green jobs in China ................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Current defi nitions ............................................................................................................................................. 11 2.2 Defi nition of green jobs in China ...................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1. Theoretical defi nition ............................................................................................................................ 11 2.2.2 Policy defi nition ......................................................................................................................................13 2.2.3. Categories of green jobs ........................................................................................................................14 Chapter 3. Legal, institutional and policy environment for the development of green jobs ............................................15 3.1 Environmental protection legislation ................................................................................................................15 3.2 Relevant industrial policy ..................................................................................................................................15 3.2.1. Policies to develop renewable energy and optimize China’s energy structure ......................................15 3.2.2. Addressing outdated capacity ...............................................................................................................16 3.2.3. Pollutant and emission reduction and promoting technological innovation in conventional industry ..17 3.2.4. Saving energy, improving energy-effi ciency and reducing pollutants ..................................................17 3.2.5. Promoting recycling pilot projects, achieving clean production and reducing emissions .....................17 3.2.6. Increasing the level of resource use .......................................................................................................18 3.2.7. Strengthening the management of environmental pollution ..................................................................18 3.2.8. Developing the environmental protection industry ................................................................................18 3.2.9. Reducing GHG emissions in agriculture and the countryside ...............................................................19 3.2.10. Promoting tree planting and enhancing the capacity of carbon sinks ..................................................19 3.3 Relevant economic policy .................................................................................................................................19 3.3.1. Fiscal policy ...........................................................................................................................................19 3.3.2. Tax policy ...............................................................................................................................................20 3.3.3. Financial policy ......................................................................................................................................20 Chapter 4. The current status of green jobs in China .......................................................................................................23 4.1 Employment in environment protection industries ...........................................................................................23 4.2 Employment in renewable energy ....................................................................................................................25 4.3 Impacts of the thermal power industry’s “upgrade the large and suspend the small” policy ............................25 4.4 Green employment in the forestry industry .......................................................................................................26 Chapter 5. The transition of the power industry to green employment ...........................................................................31 5.1 Characteristics of the power industry ................................................................................................................31 5.2 Methodology ......................................................................................................................................................31 5.3 Background of the survey group and the transition to a green economy .........................................................32 5.3.1 Employment background of surveyed enterprises ..................................................................................32 5.3.2 Employment impacts of the green transition of power industry enterprises .........................................34 5.3.3 Effect of the fi nancial crisis on the companies .......................................................................................35 5.4 The general workplace composition in the surveyed companies ......................................................................35 5.4.1. Demographic information ......................................................................................................................35 5.4.2. Worker’s education and skills ................................................................................................................37 5.4.3 Employee status ......................................................................................................................................39 Study on Green Employment in China 5.4.4. Job seeking and job changing ................................................................................................................41 5.5 Different frontline worker’s working conditions in power generation industry................................................42 5.5.1. Working hours and time arrangements ..................................................................................................42 5.5.2 Wages and benefi ts .................................................................................................................................43 5.5.3 Social security .........................................................................................................................................44 5.5.4. Working environment ............................................................................................................................46 5.6 labour Relations .................................................................................................................................................53 5.7 Training at different power enterprises ..............................................................................................................53 5.7.1 Changing skill requirements in the power sector ....................................................................................53 5.7.2 Training programmes .............................................................................................................................54 5.7.3 Employee satisfaction with training programmes ...................................................................................55 5.8 Job security, job satisfaction and worker concerns............................................................................................56 5.9 Summary of key fi ndings of the power sector study .........................................................................................59 5.9.1 Power industry restructuring and the impacts on employment ..............................................................59 5.9.2 Environmental protection measures in the power industry and the impact on employment .................60 5.9.3 Comparison