In order to promote green employment, especially among young people and vulnerable populations, the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion (MTPE) of Peru is preparing a National Green Jobs Plan with the support of PAGE.
To further this goal, a “National Forum for the promotion of green jobs in Peru”, was held in Lima this week. The head of the MTPE, Christian Sanchez, said that this plan has been updated and adjusted to leverage global trends and implement best practices, as well as meet international committments, including Agenda 2030, the Paris Agreement, and OECD accession process.
Philippe Vanhuynegem, director of the ILO Office for the Andean Countries, commended the plan as an essential tool for true green growth, which reconciles economic development with a more efficient use of natural resources and greater social equity. “A green economy can generate more and better jobs. It’s an opportunity, but you have to be prepared,” he added.
The Ambassador of the European Union, Diego Mellado, agreed that in order to continue doing business and generating jobs, Peru must pivot towards more sustainable consuming and producing. “The transformation is already underway among global companies and consumers, and Peru must be ready for this scenario,” he insisted.
Green employment is a labour market in which all employment is decent, and in which jobs contribute to a reduction of energy use and raw material consumption, limit greenhouse gas emissions, minimize waste and pollution, protect and restore ecosystems, and enable the adaptation of companies and communities to climate change.
“A transition to green jobs involves developing policies that ensure that those who may be adversely affected, especially the younger population, are protected through retraining opportunities, adequate social protection and a more relevant education,” said Vanhuynegem.
With this in mind, the MTPE, the Regional Employment and Employment Promotion Offices and PAGE prepared four Regional Youth Employment Plans 2016-2021 in the regions of Arequipa, Piura, La Libertad and Cajamarca. Minister Sánchez stressed that these public policies are important management tools aimed at promoting decent employment among the youth population.
The “National Forum for the Promotion of Green Jobs in Peru” was organized by the MTPE and PAGE, with the support of SOCIEUX + of the European Union, in order to obtain better inputs for the design of the National Plan and to position green growth as a engine to generate decent employment and social inclusion. These efforts are part of the National Green Growth Strategy being developed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of the Environment.