Ministry of Labour and Employment / ILO National Conference on Green Jobs

Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, and the ILO are organizing a National Conference on Green Jobs on 24 and 25 June 2010 in New Delhi.

There is growing acknowledgement among governments, trade unions and employers' organizations that business as usual based on the strategy "grow first, clean up later" is not sustainable, neither economically, nor socially and environmentally. The growing awareness and willingness to act is reflected in the conclusions of the discussion at the 96th Session of the International Labour Conference of the Director-General's Report on "Decent work for sustainable development" and the ILO's 'Green Jobs Initiative', which was launched in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Organization of Employers and the International Trade Union Confederation in November 2007. The initiative supports a concerted effort by governments, employers, and trade unions to promote environmentally sustainable jobs and development in a climate-challenged world, and it seeks to facilitate a "just transition" that reflects the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainable development.

It is within this framework that the ILO’s Subregional Office in New Delhi and the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Government of India, are organizing the National Conference on Green Jobs. The conference will be a forum to discuss emerging trends, debate on policy options, and share inspiring cases from India and around the world. Key issues on the agenda will include the employment and labour market implications of environment- and energy related measures, potential for green jobs promotion in the Indian policy framework, the transition to more sustainable economies and societies, and sectoral discussions related to renewable energy, waste management and green buildings.

Speakers and participants will be drawn from a wide range of government departments and institutions, employers' and workers' organizations, international agencies, private sector leaders, NGOs, and research institutes, all working on this critical global agenda.