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Abstract: This publication is the fourth edition in Eurostat’s series of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) monitoring reports, which provide a quantitative assessment of European Union (EU) progress towards reaching the SDGs. The 2020 edition is based on a set of around 100 indicators that have been selected taking into account their policy relevance from an EU perspective as well as their availability, country coverage, data freshness and quality.

Abstract: This report claims that the main factors slowing down adaptation to the green economy and the development of necessary skills are the failure of employers to demand new qualifications, and the uncertainty surrounding regulations and policies. Learning providers also report difficulties in meeting the needs of employers and understanding what organisations' skill needs are. Overall, there is limited evidence that green policies have become part of the mainstream of skills development an ...; [Read more...] This report claims that the main factors slowing down adaptation to the green economy and the development of necessary skills are the failure of employers to demand new qualifications, and the uncertainty surrounding regulations and policies. Learning providers also report difficulties in meeting the needs of employers and understanding what organisations' skill needs are. Overall, there is limited evidence that green policies have become part of the mainstream of skills development and hiring policies. There is clearly a potential for policy makers and social partners to raise awareness and take common action. This study on green skills and environmental awareness in vocational education and training identifies the main challenges and priorities. It also makes recommendations on how the labour market can be helped to respond to emerging skill needs. The study further investigates the links between skill needs and the responses of learning providers.

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to highlight some of the most important implementation issues associated with the greening of global value chains (GVCs). Special attention is given to how public policies and business strategies can support each other in meeting the challenge, particularly in developing countries. The first part calls for holding a systemic view of GVCs. This view should include downstream supply chains and take explicit account of the relationships between regular membe ...; [Read more...] The objective of this paper is to highlight some of the most important implementation issues associated with the greening of global value chains (GVCs). Special attention is given to how public policies and business strategies can support each other in meeting the challenge, particularly in developing countries. The first part calls for holding a systemic view of GVCs. This view should include downstream supply chains and take explicit account of the relationships between regular members (raw materials providers, component manufacturers and assembly plants, notably) and their clean-tech suppliers. It also involves a careful description of GVCs’ business landscapes: their respective industry structures and competitive settings, the available financial and business services, surrounding NGOs and communities, national governments’ respective energy, trade, industrial and environmental policies, and the relevant local and global infrastructures (i.e., institutions, cultures, transportation, communication means, etc.). It finally requires reliable environmental metrics and data, and must examine how these can be shared among GVC members and their stakeholders. The second part focuses on the incentives that should be set within member firms and throughout the supply chain.

Abstract: All jobs will be affected as the EU moves to a green economy: new jobs will be created and some will be eliminated, but most existing jobs will be transformed. To ensure a socially responsible transition towards high-quality green jobs, concerted efforts by governments, employees, employers and other stakeholders are crucial in anticipating and managing this process. This study examined green business practices and greening processes aimed at mitigating climate change – if radical miti ...; [Read more...] All jobs will be affected as the EU moves to a green economy: new jobs will be created and some will be eliminated, but most existing jobs will be transformed. To ensure a socially responsible transition towards high-quality green jobs, concerted efforts by governments, employees, employers and other stakeholders are crucial in anticipating and managing this process. This study examined green business practices and greening processes aimed at mitigating climate change – if radical mitigation measures are not taken in time, adaptation could eventually prove impossible. The study had two main objectives: to provide an overview at both sectoral and cross-sectoral level in the EU of the effects of greening on the quantity and quality of jobs in 10 sectors (automotive, chemicals, construction, distribution and trade, energy, furniture, nonmetallic materials, shipbuilding, textiles and transport); and to analyse good practice examples of the anticipation and management of green change at company level in these sectors.

Abstract: Green growth gains momentum, not only for governments but for companies as well. They see increasingly the opportunities that come along with ‘green growth’ as well as the relevance of mitigating environmental and social risks to which they are exposed. This paper’s central message is that high quality information is necessary to support decisions that drive green growth.

Abstract: Green job creation has enormous potential and is crucial to ensuring smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The case for government support to drive this forward is clear – industry cannot do it alone. Europe’s policy-makers need to ensure that their support for skills and training matches the focus and ambition of their strategies for promoting investment in green innovation and infrastructure. This European synthesis report on skills for green jobs brings together the findings from ...; [Read more...] Green job creation has enormous potential and is crucial to ensuring smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The case for government support to drive this forward is clear – industry cannot do it alone. Europe’s policy-makers need to ensure that their support for skills and training matches the focus and ambition of their strategies for promoting investment in green innovation and infrastructure. This European synthesis report on skills for green jobs brings together the findings from country reports covering Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France and the UK. In the future, almost every job will be a green job; thus, understanding the environmental impact of an occupation needs to be mainstreamed into education and training systems. New, greening and restructuring/retraining case studies show that integration of sustainable development and environmental issues into existing qualifications is much more effective than creating new training standards.

Abstract: Long-term projections suggest that without policy changes, the continuation of business-as-usual economic growth and development will have serious impacts on natural resources and the ecosystem services on which human well-being depends. This highlights the necessity for both developed and developing countries to move to a new growth path that is consistent with the protection of the environment and a sustainable use of scarce natural resources, while still achieving sizeable gains in ...; [Read more...] Long-term projections suggest that without policy changes, the continuation of business-as-usual economic growth and development will have serious impacts on natural resources and the ecosystem services on which human well-being depends. This highlights the necessity for both developed and developing countries to move to a new growth path that is consistent with the protection of the environment and a sustainable use of scarce natural resources, while still achieving sizeable gains in living standards and reducing poverty.

Abstract: New business models can make an important contribution to the transition to green growth. While some new business models involve large firms, others are small start-up firms that seek to exploit technological or commercial opportunities that have been neglected or not yet explored by more established firms. New firms tend to engage in more radical innovation than existing firms, and scaling up new business models can therefore help reduce environmental pollution, optimise the use of na ...; [Read more...] New business models can make an important contribution to the transition to green growth. While some new business models involve large firms, others are small start-up firms that seek to exploit technological or commercial opportunities that have been neglected or not yet explored by more established firms. New firms tend to engage in more radical innovation than existing firms, and scaling up new business models can therefore help reduce environmental pollution, optimise the use of natural resources, increase productivity and energy efficiency, and provide a new source of economic growth. Although the market for green goods and services is growing, the development of new business models is affected by a range of barriers, many of which can be addressed by well-designed policies.