GEF

Unit 9  |  New Technology and Innovative Sustainability Approaches 205 9.7  Green Jobs and the Green Economy The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines green jobs as either “jobs in businesses that produce goods and provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources” or as “jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmen- tally friendly or use fewer natural resources.” There is great potential for green jobs to reinvigorate economies around the world, while also fostering innovation in sustainability and helping slow climate change. A comprehensive Brookings Institute study concludes that overall, green sections of the U.S. economy employ 3.4 mil- lion workers across a wide range of fields including renewable energy, manufacturing, and export-related industries. The study argues that this sector of the economy offers more opportunities and better pay for low- and middle-skilled workers than the national economy as a whole. Furthermore, the study found that nearly one third of all green jobs are in manufacturing, compared to just 9 percent in other parts of the economy. Many economists focus on the importance of rebuilding a depressed manufacturing sector in the U.S. and other industrialized nations, emphasizing the potential for green jobs to reinvigorate this important part of the economy. According to the Ecotech Institute, in the U.S. there was a 13 percent increase in green job openings from 2013 to 2014, from 3.6 million green job openings in 2013 to 3.8 million openings in 2014. However, the U.S. has not yet established the national policies that would maximize employment, income, and the carbon reductions available in the green economy, especially in renewable energy. Research has found that other countries, such as China and India, are attracting more investment in green technology and green jobs than the U.S. GREEN JOBS Jobs or employment in renewable energy, energy conservation, sustainable water systems, or other fields that promote sustainability.