Daily Times

Sir: According to a report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), excluding the agriculture sector, a great many jobs could be created if countries stick to the 2015 Paris Agreement’s goals. The ILO report Greening with Jobs found that “policies aimed at limiting global warming below the two degree limit could create some 24 million jobs, enough to offset job losses amounting to six million elsewhere”.

Given the unsustainable pressure of the current economic activity on the environment, a transition towards a green economy is both necessary and inevitable. In addition, if current trends continue and no action is taken to tackle climatic change and environmental degradation continues, the Middle East and Africa would see net job losses due to their dependence on fossil fuel and mining.

It is important that these countries take urgent action to train workers in the new skills needed to complete the transition to a greener economy. They must also be encouraged to provide social protection to prevent those who are unable to make the transition from falling into poverty.

ZOYA SHAMIM

Via E-mail

Published in Daily Times, May 23^rd 2018.