Adopting Green Technologies: Collaboration needed to mitigate job losses
A policy decision to limit the importation of fossil fuel vehicles in favour of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions can affect mechanics specialising in fossil fuel vehicle repairs.
There is, therefore, the need to collaborate to mitigate job losses and maximise opportunities in adopting green technologies.
The Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Madam Gloria Bortele Noi, said this at a one-day sensitisation workshop for some selected journalists on the National Green Jobs Strategy in Accra.
The sensitisation sought to create awareness and build partnerships with the media to ensure a just transition from a brown economy to a green one.
Madam Bortele Noi expressed gratitude to SNV Ghana, the European Union (EU) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for their commitment and support in the development and implementation of the National Green Jobs Strategy.
She stated that Ghanaians must be educated on climate change and its detrimental effects on their well-being as well as on the environment.
“The knowledge on the measures and strategies to combat climate change will equip us to make informed decisions, especially on matters concerning the sustainability of the environment and labour market,” she said.
Madam Bortele Noi noted that in Ghana, the challenges of global warming were fueled by human activities and greenhouse gases had worsened in recent times due to illegal mining activities known as “galamsey.”
She said the media had a crucial role to play in ensuring a sustainable green environment and appealed to them to intensify education on issues of climate change and requirements for a just transition through investigative journalism to influence decision-making.
The Senior Skills Development Advisor of SNV Ghana, Mr Awudu Dramani Musah, said SNV would ensure the “National Green Jobs Strategy” project stays and benefits Ghanaians.
The National Project Coordinator of ILO, Mr Gideon Mankralo, reiterated the need to give people new skills to fit into the green economy.
The National Green Jobs Strategy is a framework developed by the Ministry in collaboration with other stakeholders to create platforms, develop capacities and institute measures to minimise job losses and maximise the potential of the green and circular economy to create decent green jobs in Ghana.
