ILO-Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) partnership contributes to promote the cross-cutting character of environmental sustainability within the ILO and its work. Sida supports the implementation of the ILO Policy framework “Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all” (Just Transition) and the ILO Green Initiative with an overall objective to build the capacity of tripartite constituents in operationalizing the Philippine Green Jobs Act and in managing the structural changes towards pursuing an environmentally sustainable, climate-resilient economy. It takes a two-track, capacity building approach, which 1) supports the creation of enabling environment for sustainable enterprises to prosper, create decent work opportunities and ensure social well-being through evidence-based policy decision making; and 2) to facilitate demonstration of green jobs creation and just transition measures at the industry, enterprise and local levels.

The Philippines is highly vulnerable to climate risks, which would have an almost certain and long-term impacts on the economy, sustainable development, social equity, and national security throughout the country and across all sectors.

Therefore, in April 2016 the Philippines Green Jobs Act was passed into law, to scale up promotion of sustainable growth and decent job creation, while building resilience against impacts of climate change, by providing incentives to enterprises generating green jobs. The Philippines is one of the three pilot countries for the application of the policy guidelines for a Just Transition, with particular focus on implementing the Philippine Green Jobs Act.

To provide support to the newly enacted Philippines Green Jobs Act, the ILO is employing the Just Transition policy guidelines to reinforce the establishment of the tripartite cooperation in order to adequately address issues concerning the greening of the economy through social dialogue, promoting convergence, capacity building and advocacy activities to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of sustainable development, decent work and green jobs and the necessity of a just transition.

The key interventions include, among others, the integration a just transition framework in the crafting of the National Green Jobs Human Resource Development Plan to ensure that the shift to a green and sustainable economy is equitable and inclusive. It addresses just transition issues and promotes green jobs into the national frameworks and policies. This will be supported with employment projections for green jobs and an analysis of skills policies and strategies, skills provision at national, sectoral, local or enterprise level.

The Just Transition project has been providing a platform for social dialogue to address the issues of mine closures in the Philippines. The Project has facilitated the development of a Just Transition framework, which will be the basis for concrete just transition measures at the national, sectoral and local level.