Empowering our workforce with green skills
To tackle the challenges of environmental crises, Bangladesh must mainstream the key principles of sustainability and environmental consciousness. The country must also focus on developing the capacities of the labour force by prioritising skill sets that are necessary for fostering green growth and development
What are green skills?
To understand what we mean by green skills, let's take a step back and understand the overarching idea of green growth. The key essence of green growth is to continue economic growth by keeping sustainability and environmental protection at the core of all development processes.
While there are many definitions of green growth used in different contexts, one of the most widely accepted definitions of green growth is that of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD): "Fostering economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies."
To build on the momentum of green growth, it is important that countries mainstream the key principles of sustainability and environmental consciousness across all sectors and disciplines. Therefore, it is imperative that countries focus on developing the capacities of the labour force by prioritising skill sets that are necessary for fostering green growth and development.
And here comes the need for building green skills.
In this regard, the concept of green skills is referred to as the "knowledge, abilities, values and attributes that are needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society." Green skills are therefore the essential skills that will help a workforce take on the green growth agenda, be able to understand and apply environmental legislation, and lower carbon footprint by enhancing overall energy and resource efficiency within all sectors.
Considering the climate crisis and the need for sustainable development, the value of having green skills is becoming more prominent, especially in employability. In fact, many mainstream job search engines are now listing green skills, in addition to other skills, within the assessment criteria for most occupations.
Despite green skills gaining more prominence in developed countries, the situation is not quite the same for developing countries that still lack adequate numbers of graduates trained in green skills. According to a recent report by the International Labour Organisation, even though many countries are yet to finalise a clear strategic plan for skill development for green jobs, there are initiatives in place to provide the necessary skills.
There are two streams of skill development mentioned, the first is to establish new and more specific systems to generate and promote skills for green jobs. The second is to integrate green aspects into existing systems.
In the absence of a well-functioning governance system, developing countries often opt for the former approach. On part of the government, an effort is made to establish dedicated mechanisms for the development of green skills. This provides a unique opportunity for developing countries to incorporate core skills such as environmental awareness, to be mainstreamed into systems for technical education, technical and vocational education and training, youth training programmes, as well as workplace skills development training, etc.
Need for green skills in Bangladesh
Bangladesh, a country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, has made remarkable strides when it comes to taking climate action. Over the years, Bangladesh has become a front-runner in climate adaptation. The country has also taken its mitigation responsibilities quite seriously. In the interim Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) document (2020) the country has committed to an unconditional reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions by 5% from Business as Usual (BAU) levels by 2030.
Despite the many climatic challenges, Bangladesh has been moving rapidly up the development trajectory. In fact, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has approved the resolution to allow Bangladesh to graduate to the developing country grouping from the least developed country (LDC). As the country moves towards this graduation, there will be a rapid increase in industrialisation to enhance economic growth and employment.
The core of this growth needs to be based on low-carbon technologies and nature-based solutions, ensuring long-term sustainability. In order to prepare the labour force for the upcoming green transitions, there is a strong need to invest in people's capabilities, reskilling and upskilling of workers. In this regard, enhanced access to green skills training, raising environmental awareness and climate literacy for current and future workers will be essential for the implementation of greener ways of development.
Building green skills at the local level: Mongla
While the green growth agenda is being discussed amongst policymakers at the national level, there is a need for focus on green skill development at local levels, especially in some of the more rapidly urbanising climate-vulnerable towns and cities.
Mongla, a city situated in the peripheries of the Sundarbans is the second busiest seaport area in Bangladesh. People have been migrating here in search of work for almost half a century. The area has now become an economic hub due to the wide range of livelihood opportunities provided by the Mongla Export Processing Zone and the export-oriented shrimp farming areas. Despite Mongla being a climate-vulnerable city, people from other climate-risk regions are constantly migrating here, both seasonally and permanently, in search of better work opportunities.
Considering the area's proximity to the coast, many NGOs and development organisations have been working in Mongla. In 2007, a USAID-funded project International Programme for Action on Climate (IPAC) trained 10 or 12 locals in eco-tourism. The training took place in a South Chila Union called Badhamari, a 40-minute drive from Mongla. The training focussed on better management of the Sundarbans and creating more jobs in its vicinity.
Following this in 2016, the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation trained some people in ecotourism, which was held in Mongla Port Municipality. Then in 2018 through a project named Climate-Resilient Ecosystems & Livelihoods (CREL), also funded by USAID, training was provided to individuals from Chila and Dacope Unions regarding ecotourism. According to locals, the project also gave monetary support for building eco-resorts on the respective lands owned by two of the participants.
However, apart from some initiatives for training on ecotourism, not much green skill-related work has been done in Mongla port as of yet. According to the new mayor of Mongla, NGOs do different kinds of work in Mongla but not enough is done in the municipality beyond water management. He stated that it would be beneficial if more work is done regarding enhancing employment opportunities for educated people in Mongla Port Municipality.
According to Mongla's Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), there are many opportunities to work with waste management, forestation, vegetation and greeneries in the area. The youth in Mongla is in desperate need of suitable jobs. While some lack the necessary skills, there are others who are more educated and yet suffer due to the lack of suitable job opportunities. Moreover, as there are no vocational training centres in the Mongla Port area, there is no opportunity for skill development for youth groups.
Considering Mongla's location near the Sundarbans, it would be extremely useful if people were provided with skills that allow them to use forest resources more sustainably, without harming the environment.
Keeping all these in consideration, SAJIDA Foundation's Climate Change and Disaster Management Unit will be conducting green skills training within the migrant communities in areas of ecotourism, solid waste management, technical services and others. The main focus will be to identify the skills needed by the people and foster green skills that will increase their employability within the green business sector.
Mahmuda Akter is working as Senior Research Officer at Climate Change and Disaster Management Unit, SAJIDA Foundation and Shababa Haque is an environmental researcher and a PhD candidate based at Durham University, UK.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.