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SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Ecosystems, Economy and Employment:
A labour approach to biodiversity
Ana Belén Sánchez19 October 2012
COP 11- Hyderabad (India)
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
• Objectives:
- Better understand the links between biodiversity protection and employment
- Quantitative terms: employment impact of biodiversity protection and sustainable use of natural resources
- Qualitative terms: impacts on working conditions
- Experience of trade unions on this matter
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Addressing multiple crisis
• Need to create new 600 million jobs over the next 10 years
• Improve low incomes of 900 million people living below poverty line
• But also 80 % don’t have access to social protection, increasing food insecurity…
• A quarter of plant species threatened with extinction
• Natural habitats continue to decline in extent and integrity
• But also climate change, desertification…• And of course, the economic crisis!
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report
• “Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history, largely to meet rapidly growing demands for food, fresh water, timber, fibber and fuel.
• This has resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth”
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Interlinked crisis
• Ecosystem degradation due to:– Unsustainable farming practices– Infrastructure development– Unsustainable exploitation of natural resources– Pollution and invasive species
• As a result:– Food insecurity– Rise in poverty– Impacts on human health and wellbeing– Collapse of economic activities and jobs losses
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Biodiversity and employmentAn unexplored link
• Increasing literature on Green Jobs• But, studies do not always reflect this link. • There is more information available on Climate
Change and Employment• Informed decisions are based on data and facts:
– how many jobs depend on our biodiversity and our ecosystems?
– How many jobs will be generated by protecting nature and ecosystems?
– What will be the social implications of these transformation?
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Biodiversity and EmploymentA threefold relation
• 1/ Biodiversity and Ecosystems are the basis of a significant part of the economy
• A great number of jobs today depend on them.
• 2/ Biodiversity loss = job losses
• 3/ Green Jobs creation result of sustainable practices in ecosystems management
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Links between Biodiversity and Employment
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Highly dependent primary industries
Farming, forestry sector, fishing,
water supply
Biodiversity provide raw
materials
Biodiversity is the basis of
development in the sectors
Regulating ecosystem
services are needed for the
functioning
Biodiversity is the basis of production
of these sectors
36% jobs in developing countries
6,5% jobs in EU
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Manufacturing industries dependent on inputs and processes
Energy supply, mining, food, drink and tobacco,
wood and paper, pharmaceuticals and
other production industries
Ecosystem services
essential for production
Biodiversity provision of
raw materials
Biodiversity products and ecosystem
services development
Ecosystem services
essential for processing
activities
30% jobs in developing countries
17% jobs in EU
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Service activities depedent on cultural services
Hotels, creative industries and
media, education
Part of activities of
these sectors depend on ecosystem
cultural services
Biodiversity provide some
of their raw materials
(such as food or others)
7% jobs in developing countries
13 % jobs in EU
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Service activities dependent on raw materials and fuel
Construction and transport
Activities which depend
on the provision of
some raw materials
from ecosystems
Activities which depend on the provision of
fuel from ecosystems
11% jobs in developing countries
19% jobs in the EU
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Indirect relationship: Other sectors
Other activities
Ecosystem services
needed for the maintenance
of human health
The essential services
provided by ecosystems
make working environment
and development of
these sectors possible
Ecosystem services needed for the
survival and the protection of people and properties from
natural disasters.
16% jobs in developing c.
45% jobs in EU
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Some figures: jobs that depend on biodiversity and ecosystems
• Jobs directly related to biodiversity:– In the EU 14.6 million jobs, 7%of the labour market– In developing countries, 927 million, 35% of their
labour market• Jobs with a direct link with ecosystem services:
– 112 mill jobs in EU, 48% of LM– 1298 mill in developing countries, 49% of LM
• Jobs indirectly dependent on ecosystem services:– 104 mill jobs in the European Union, 45% LM– 413 mill jobs in developing countries,16% LM
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
New jobs to protect the Planet’s biodiversity
• New decent and green jobs, much needed in the current deep unemployment crisis.
• Biodiversity-friendly sectors are in most cases more labour intensive that the unsustainable ones.
• Positive impact on quality of work in some sectors. While, in other cases ad-hoc policies are needed.
• Close linked with poverty!
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Biodiversity and poverty: GDP of the poor
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Agriculture
– Unsustainable practices have resulted in low-quality and low-income jobs.
– The sector represent 70% of child labour– Workers have twice as likely to die at work as
those in other sectors– Death to exposure of dangerous chemical
products– Organic farming: creates a third more
employment than non-organic farming and reduce exposure to chemicals.
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Forest
• Biodiversity-friendly forest sector:– Additional jobs: up to 10 mill new jobs– Eradication of forced labour– Less fires
• Measures to be implemented– eradicating illegal logging– Providing training to workers on sustainable
management– Improving working conditions– Establishing protected forest areas– Reforestation with native species– Clean-up work in forest areas
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Fishing
• Fishing essential to the survival and food security of 200 mill people
• Now: 30% global stocks are over-exploited. 88 % at the EU- 45% outside safe biological limits.
• Opportunities of biodiversity-friendly fishing: – New jobs: 100,000 only in Europe (inc. 28%)– Transformation of the sectors: companies and
workers: need for a Just Transition framework
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Tourism
• Represent 8% of global employment and is expected to grow
• Precarious working conditions: low salary, long hours, informal economy.
• A significant part of the sector is highly dependent of biodiversity and ecosystems
• Eco-tourism: – Major source of local employment– Impacts of tourism infrastructure and facilities would
not destruct natural habitats, create water pollution and waste would be managed…
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Water resource management
• One of the sectors most dependant on biodiversity: high correlation between global areas with biodiversity under threat and areas with water security is at risk.
• Options:– Increase water use efficiency– Reduce pressure of underground sources– Reform water policies, promoting water saving– Reform water governance. Role of public sector
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Transitional challenge
• Protecting biodiversity might have an immediate impact on jobs: limitation on unsustainable fishing
• Different impact for companies than for workers: substitution and relocation to alternative options vs workers facing limited options.
• Just Transition Framework(s) needed
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Participation by workers
• Awareness of workers and TUs have increased in recent years.
• Some pioneering experiences:– Malaysian hotel workers have been trained in
sustainable management of hotel facilities– Greek tourism union has introduced environmental
clauses in collective agreement– Amazonian forest workers participate in forest
certification initiatives– Public sector unions carry out an intense campaign to
achieve sustainable, public management of water.– Others: France, Brazil, Belgium…
SustainlabourInternational Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Trade Union have committed in the area of biodiversity to:
• Promote regulation and public administration strategies• Demand a new production model which conserves
biological diversity• Demand the inclusion of the biodiversity variable in
public and private policies• Fight of funding for biod policies• Demand the protection of ecosystems and manage them
with local communities eng.• Demand land use and urban development policies
incorporate biodiv variable• Promote alliance with other stakeholders with same obj