Report assesses generation of green jobs in Jordan

AMMAN — Promoting green investments will play a pivotal role in creating and sustaining green jobs in Jordan as well as supporting a transition towards a green economy in the Kingdom, according to the recent Green Jobs Assessment in Jordan Synthesis Report.

The study covers current levels of green employment across six sectors: Agriculture, transport, water and waste, manufacturing, tourism and energy. All together they generate between 74,135 and 95,060 jobs. 

The transport and agriculture sectors have the highest number of green jobs, according to the report. 

The report is part of the  “Green Action in Enterprises” (GAIN) project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) , cooperated with Cambridge Econometrics using the International Labour Organization (ILO) GAIN methodology.

The report says that national strategies and individual sector green initiatives are expected to increase employment above the business-as-usual case. 

Six sector-level green initiatives were selected for simulation with a macroeconomic model, showing that direct investments in the green economy can indeed yield economic benefits while helping to preserve and restore the environment at the same time.

By 2030, over 350 direct green jobs could be created from investments in specific green economy initiatives. Additional employment (indirect and induced) in the rest of the economy during the investment/construction phases ranges from 6,500 to 8,300 jobs, it adds.

By 2030, around 350 additional indirect and induced jobs in the economy will be generated by the operational phase of those green economy initiatives. Such investments need to be supported with a robust legal framework that creates enabling conditions for green financing, technology transfer and capacity development of human resources in addition to market-based incentive systems that encourage the private sector to generate green jobs, the report obtained by The Jordan Times says.

The report says that enabling economic and social policies should be explored to create the proper conditions for green job creation, greening of current jobs and the enhancement of practical skills in the labour force in Jordan to realise the emerging potential for green jobs.

“While the analysis shows that the green transition has the potential to increase net jobs, the pattern of job gains and losses suggests that careful design of an appropriate policy package (including legislative changes) will be important to manage a smooth jobs transition,” it added.

The report also observes that implementing a package of policies facilitates synergies and can help ensure that jobs created in one sector absorb the jobs losses in another sector.

The report indicates that technology will also redefine some jobs, so re-skilling opportunities would help current workers remain in employment as skills requirements change.

“The transition to a green job market is a long process that requires political commitment, wide-ranging policy reforms, tools for measurement of green jobs creation and the adoption of appropriate technologies. If such commitments could be achieved, Jordan seems well-positioned to unlock the potential of the green economy in generating meaningful employment opportunities,” the report says.